»\\o . Wvt
T
SACRED LITERATURE j
COMPRISING
A REVIEW OF THE PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION
LAID DOWN BY THE LATE
ROBERT LOWTH, D.D.
LORD BISHOP OF LONDON, IN
HIS PRELECTIONS AND ISAIAH:
AND
AN APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES SO REVIEWED,
TO THE ILLUSTRATION OF
IN A SERIES OF
CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE STYLE AND STRUCTURE
OF THAT SACRED VOLUME.
BY JOHN JEBB, D.D. F.R.S.
BISHOP OF LIMERICK, ARDFERT AND AGHADOE.
I use the Scripture, not as an arsenal, to be resorted to only for arms and weapons to defend this party, or defeat its enemies ; but as a matchless temple, where I delight to be, to contemplate the beauty, the symmetry, and the magnificence of the structure, and to increase my awe, and excite my devotion to the Deity there preached and adored.
THE HONOURABLE ROBERT BOVLE.
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED.
493893
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR T. CADELL, STRAND; AND W. BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH.
1828.
TO
THE MOST REVEREND AND RIGHT HONOURABLE
CHARLES BRODRICK, D.D.
LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CASHEL.
MY LORD,
IN permitting me to place where it now stands, a name so justly and so generally revered and beloved, Your Grace has con ferred upon this work, and upon the author of it, no ordinary benefit.
On such an occasion, were my language to keep pace with my feelings, I am conscious, that, instead of imparting pleasure, I should inflict pain. They who most delight them selves in shewing kindnesses, are the most unwilling to have thosekindnessesproclaimed:
and when Providence connects one with a
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VI DEDICATION.
benefactor of this stamp, he should, in ex pressions at least, confine himself to
" The still small voice of gratitude."
There are facts, however, which, as con nected with the volume now submitted to your censure, I have not the self-denial wholly to suppress. Your Grace can scarcely have forgotten, and I hope never to forget, the conversations whence originated the first rude sketches of the present work ; conversations held within your palace walls, and elicited by your mild graciousness of manner: it has more probably escaped your recollection, that, in the earlier stages of my progress, I was in debted to your discriminative judgment, for several valuable hints : and it is morally cer tain, that, were it not for the lettered retire ment, which, through Your Grace's long-tried and unintermitting friendship, I have enjoyed during the last ten years, this effort, whether successful or unsuccessful, toward elucidating Holy Scripture, could never have been made.
To other, and invaluable friends, I am largely indebted, both for counsel and encou ragement. But the earliest and best of those
DEDICATION. Vll
friends, will be the first to feel, that, on every account, whether of a public, or a private nature, these pages could be inscribed to none so properly, as to the ARCHBISHOP OF CASHEL.
So far as respects myself, it is a rare feli city, that THE PRELATE, to whom I am both officially and morally responsible for the employment of my time, is also THE MAN, to whom, with full assurance of an indulgent and even cordial reception, I can present this offspring of some thought, and much leisure.
That Your Grace may be long spared, to diffuse happiness through the circle of your family and friends ; and as long strengthened, to promote the best interests of the Church and Christianity, is the fervent wish and prayer of,
MY LORD, Your Grace's most .obliged,
Most attached, And most dutiful Servant,
JOHN JEBB.
Abington Glebe, April 17. 1820.
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CONTENTS.
SECTION I.
STRUCTURE of the New Testament often modelled after poeti cal parts of the Old. To prove this, the object of the pre sent work. Collateral advantages expected from this inquiry. Bishop Lowth. His character as a man of letters. He ex tended the sphere of Hebrew poetry. Universal character istic of that poetry. Parallelism defined. Not unreasonable to look for it in the New Testament. Page 1
NOTES ON SECTION I.
Scripture a source of recreation and enjoyment. Doctor John son. His unhappy education. Books of the prophets for merly accounted prosaic. Hebrew versification. Absurd and unsuccessful theories of it. Basis of Bishop Lowth's system. Hebrew poetry not metrical. Not always of the sublimer character. Doctrine of parallelism : by whom briefly analysed. 6
SECTION II.
Parallelism described, after Bishop Lowth. His lordship's doctrine of synonymous, antithetical, and constructive paral lelism, illustrated by examples. - 23
NOTE ON SECTION II.
Proverbs, x. 2. vindicated from the misinterpretation of Glass.
32
SECTION III.
Bishop Lowth's name and definition of the first kind of parallel ism reviewed. The notion of synonyme examined and re-
X CONTENTS.
jected. The term COGNATE PARALLELISM proposed as unex ceptionable. In parallelisms commonly called synonymous, the second clause invariably diversifies the preceding ; commonly so as to rise above it. This fact exemplified from Bishop Lowth's own specimens. These distinctions of moment, in the philology, and moral philosophy, of Scripture. Further illustrations, from the twenty -fourth and first psalms. Climax in the latter, maintained against Gataker. Isaiah, li. 4-. 7. Common reading of the fourth verse defended. Page 34?
NOTES ON SECTION III.
Bishop Lowth. Dr. Gregory. Archbishop Newcome. Abuse of the doctrine of synonymous parallelism by modern Scrip ture lexicographers. Caution to students in Divinity. 49
SECTION IV.
Varieties of the parallelism hitherto unnoticed. Introverted parallelism. Applicable to the interpretation of obscure passages. Value of experimental analysis of Scripture. Epanodos ; rationale of it. Illustrated from portions of the cviith psalm. Noticed, but not explored, or accounted for, by some of the critics. - - - - 53
NOTES ON SECTION IV.
Importance of technical distribution. Dr. Kennicott, and Arch bishop Newcome upon it. Lord Bacon's experimenta luci- fera. Collocation of words. Hebrew poetry superior to classical in this particular. Epanodos, by whom noticed. Exemplified from the classics. 66
SECTION V.
Parallelism variously distributed through the Old Testament. Preserved in the Septuagint. Employed in the Apocrypha. Imitated by the Rabbins. Unity of Scripture, an argument for its existence in the New Testament. Habits and predi lections of the writers and readers of that volume, an addi tional argument. Question to be settled by an appeal to facts. Preparative authorities favourable to unprejudiced examination. . - , - . ; - - 75
CONTENTS. XI
NOTES ON SECTION V.
Followers of Bp. Lowth not agreed respecting the precise limits of Hebrew poetry. Book of Ecclesiastes, how far poetical. Specimens of parallelism from the Apocrypha. From rabbi nical writers. Parallelism a valuable auxiliary of the best moral philosophy. Style of the New Testament. Extracts on that subject. Parallelism already discovered in a few verses of the N. T., and by whom. I*age 82
SECTION VI.
Quotations from poetical parts of the Old Testament. An in termediate link between the parallelisms of both Testaments. Parallelism carefully preserved in these quotations. Three fold division of this topic. 1. Simple quotations. 2. Com plex quotations. 3. Quotations mingled with original matter. Simple quotations exemplified. Compared with the render ings in the Septuagint Version. Superiority of the former.
96
SECTION VII.
Complex quotations. Several specimens examined. United and blended very skilfully. Contrast between these and classical centos. - - - - - 114
SECTION VIII.
Quotations mingled with original matter. Parallelism equally pervades the whole compound. Animadversions on Ernesti and Wassenberg. Acts, iv. 24 — 30. An eucharistic hyrnn. An exact commentary on the beginning of the second psalm. Affords, on the principles of sententious parallelism, a proof of our Lord's supreme godhead. - 124
SECTION IX.
Original parallelisms of the New Testament. Couplets. Tri plets. Climax or gradation of members. Received reading of S. Matt. vii. 4. 6. 18., defended against Origen, Dr. Camp bell, and several modern critics. - 143
Xll CONTENTS.
SECTION X.
Quatrains ; direct, alternate, and introversive. Occasional and significant departure from exact parallelism. Strictures on Dr. Campbell. S. Matthew, xii. 39 — 42., compared with S. Luke, xi. 39 — 42. Variations accounted for. Both con texts illustrated by 1 Cor. i. 18 — 27. Received readings defended against Bengel, Griesbach, and others. Page 168
SECTION XI.
Five-lined stanza. Variously constructed. Specimens of each variety. Just sense of S. John, xi. 9, 10. Importance, in Scripture interpretation, of antitheses, and parallelisms of sense. The six-lined stanza. Our Lord's character misun derstood and misrepresented. Moral depth of antithesis in S. Luke, xii. 47, 48. Just reading of S. Matthew, v. 46—48., established from the doctrine of parallelism. Analysis of S. Matthew, xi. 28—30. - - 193
SECTION XII.
Stanzas consisting of more than six lines. Picturesque beauty of S. Matthew, vii. 24—27. Injured by want of simplicity in Dr. Campbell's translation. Niceties of phraseology and con struction. S. Matthew, xx. 25—28. Clear though compli cated relationship of members. S. Matthew, x. 40 — 42. Expressive climax, and anticlimax. Gift of a cup of cold water illustrated by anecdotes from Joseph us and ^Elian. S. Matthew, xi. 16—19. Jewish Customs. Classical coin cidences. Cheerful spirit of Christianity. S. Matthew, xv. 3 — 6. An obscure passage. Elucidated by resolution into parallelisms. - 212
SECTION XIII.
Connected stanzas, forming paragraphs, or sections. S. Luke, xvi. 9 — 13. S. James, iv. 6—10. Moral gradations in this passage. S. James, v. 1 — 6. A prophetic poem. 1 S. John, ii. 15 — 17. Analytically examined. - - 249
SECTION XIV.
Commentary on S. James, iii. 1 — 12. ;- - 273
CONTENTS. Xiil
SECTION XV.
CLIMAX; or ascending gradation of members in the cognate parallelism. Bishop Bull. Dr. G. Campbell. Critical ex amination of Rom. v. 7. An absurdity of Schleusner ex posed. Revelation, xxii. 11. Received text defended. Shades of moral discrimination in S. Matt. vii. 1, 2., S. Mark, iv. 2., S. Luke, vi. 38., when compared with each other.
Page 309
SECTION XVI.
EPANODOS. Reference to fourth Section. S. Matt. vi. 24. vii. 6. x. 16. Rom. xi. 12. Acts, xx. 21. 1 Cor. vi. 11. 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. Philem. 5. Unwarrantable liberties taken with the text of Scripture, by critics and translators. Espe cially by Mr. G. Wakefield. Bishop Middleton's estimate of our authorised translation. Hebrews, x. 33, 34. M. Valc- kenaer observed upon. S. Matt, xxiii. 16 — 22. S.James, i. 22—25. S. Luke, xii. 33 — 40. Observation of Euthy- mius. 335
SECTION XVII.
EUPHEMISM. S. Matt. xxv. 34. 41. S. Chrysostom. Strige- lius. Rom. ix. 22, 23. S. Chrysostom. Grotius. Dr. Dod- dridge. S. Luke, xii. 8, 9. S. Matt. x. 32, 33. S. Mark, viii. 38. Probable reference to the case of S. Peter, Heb. vi. 7, 8. Temerity of Mr. Wakefield. Sober warning from Valckenaer. - 353
SECTION XVIII.
Co-ordinate dependence on a common antecedent. This pecu liarity of composition exemplified, and explained. 375
SECTION XIX.
The Sorites ; or linked style of composition. 388
SECTION XX. The Song of the Blessed Virgin. - 391
SECTION XXI.
The Hymn of Zacharias. - '•-.,,. v- - 403
CONTENTS.
SECTION XXII.
The Song of Symeon. Page 418
SECTION XXIII.
The Sermon on the Mount. 4-29
SECTION XXIV.
Song of triumph over the mystical Babylon. Revelation, xviii.
450
SACRED LITERATURE.
SECTION I.
IT is the design of the following pages, to prove, by examples, that the structure of clauses, sen tences, and periods, in the New Testament, is frequently regulated after the model afforded in the poetical parts of the Old: and it is hoped, that, in the course of investigation necessary for the ac complishment of this design, somewhat may be incidentally contributed, towards the rectification or establishment of the received text; some gramma tical difficulties may be removed ; some intricacies of construction may be disentangled ; some light may be thrown on the interpretation of passages hitherto obscure ; and several less obvious pro prieties of expression, and beauties, both of con ception and of style, may be rendered familiar to the attentive reader : while, if the thoughts, not hastily or indeliberately submitted to the public, shall approve themselves to competent minds, a new, and, if my own experience be not deceitful,
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2 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
an agreeable field of inquiry (1) will be opened to students of the Sacred Volume.
The acknowledged sphere of Hebrew poetry was, in former days, much narrower than at pre sent : it was then the general, and almost universal opinion, that the books of the prophets were written in mere prose (2) : the style, indeed, the thoughts, the imagery, and the expressions, were allowed to be often poetical ; sometimes poetical in the highest degree : but, with few exceptions, the composition was not supposed by the critics to possess those distinctive features, whatever they might be, which had confirmed the traditional claim of Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs, and certain occasional hymns, to be accounted poetical in the strict sense of the term. At length, however, the schools of the pro phets were to be restored to their ancient honours : it was not enough that their title to the gift of pro phecy was undisputed ; their title, also, to the gift of poetry, was to be asserted and maintained : for this, and for other distinguished purposes, Divine Providence was pleased to raise up and to cherish, in the university of Oxford, a man eminently quali fied by nature and art, by a ppetical mind, a saga cious intuition, a pure taste, and an acquaintance, no less intimate than extensive, with the best re mains of antiquity, to attempt and achieve the restoration of a branch of knowledge, which, in the lapse of ages, and through the decay and downfal of the Hebrew language, had, to all human appear ance, irrecoverably perished. Numerous efforts,
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 5
indeed, had previously been made, to restore the long-lost theory of Hebrew versification (3) ; but their number, and their fruitlessness, served only to indicate, that, in future, all such efforts must be vain : while the scanty rays of light which had gleamed upon the subject, were lost in the obscurity of two or three rabbinical dissertations. (4) Such was the state of things, when BISHOP LOWTH (5) was called to the poetical chair of Oxford : and, while, amidst the applauses of lettered Europe, he seated Isaiah and his compeers in the assembly of the poets, he discharged the less brilliant, but not less important, office, of exhibiting, to the satisfaction of all unprejudiced minds, the only universal characteristic of that poetry, in which the sacred writers were wont to clothe the lively oracles of God.
The nature of this universal characteristic, it is essential to the present inquiry, that I should de termine with some accuracy : the usefulness of having so determined it, will, as we proceed, abundantly appear : but, in the very outset, this precautionary step may, in some degree, anticipate certain prejudices, not unlikely to arise, against a further extension of the poetical character, beyond the writings of the prophets, to several portions of the New Testament.
The grand characteristic, then, of Hebrew poetry does not appear to belong peculiarly to the original language of the Old Testament, as contra-distin guished from that of the New. It is not the
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4? SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
acrostical, or regularly alphabetical commencement of lines or stanzas (6) ; for this occurs but in twelve poems of the Old Testament : it is not the intro duction of foreign words, and of, what grammarians call the paragogic, or redundant particles (7) ; for these licences, though frequent, are by no means universal, in the poetical books of Scripture ; and they are occasionally admitted in passages merely historical and prosaic : it is not the rhyming termin ation of lines (8) ; for no trace of this artifice is discoverable in the alphabetical poems, the lines or stanzas of which are defined with infallible preci sion ; and every attempt to force it on the text, has been accompanied by the most licentious mutila tion of Scripture : and finally, this grand character istic is not the adoption of metre, properly so called, and analogous to the metre of the heathen classics; for the efforts of the learned, to discover such metre in any one poem of the Hebrews, have universally failed * ; and, while we are morally certain, that, even though it were known and em ployed by the Jews, while their language was a living one, it is quite beyond recovery in the dead and unpronounceable state of that language, there are also strong reasons for believing, that, even in the most flourishing state of their literature, the Hebrew poets never used this decoration. (9)
Again, it is most certain, that the proper charac teristic of Hebrew poetry is not elation, grandeur,
* See Note (3) on this Section.
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 5
or sublimity, either of thought or diction. In these qualities, indeed, a large portion of the poetical Scriptures, is not only distinguished, but unrivalled : but there are also many compositions in the Old Testament, indisputably poetical, which, in thought and expression, do not rise above the ordinary tone of just and clear conceptions, calmly, yet pointedly delivered. (10)
Having thus briefly stated what the distinguish ing characteristic of Hebrew poetry is not, it re mains, that, with still greater brevity for the present, I should endeavour to state what it is. In one word, then, it is what Bishop Lowth entitles PARAL LELISM (11); that is, a certain equality, resem blance, or relationship, between the members of each period ; so that, in one or more lines or mem bers of the same period, things shall answer to things, and words to words, as if fitted to each other, by a kind of rule or measure.* The nature of the parallelism thus defined, I propose to illus trate in the next section : meantime, it may not be improper to derive this conclusion from the statements of the present ; that, since the charac teristic feature of Hebrew poetry is altogether independent of the Hebrew language \ and since it is often found, in its greatest accuracy and per fection, in the less impassioned and more didactic portions of the Old Testament, it cannot be wholly
* See Bishop Lowth, Prael. 19. Vol. ii. p. 34. of Dr. Gregory's translation : or p. 208. Ed. Rosenm.
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6 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
unreasonable to expect exemplifications of it in the Greek of the New Testament ; in the calm instruc tions, for example, of our blessed Lord, and in the practical exhortations of his apostles : but this, though here intimated, will be more advantage ously the subject of future consideration.
NOTES ON SECT. I.
(1.) An agreeable field of inquiry.'} This may, perhaps, to some minds, appear a light expression, as applied to 'a very grave subject. It is, however, deliberately chosen : and, in all seriousness, I would here express a feeling of regret, in which I am by no means singular, that scholars rarely approach the Scriptures with a view to recreation and enjoyment. As a field of literary labour, as an arena for theological controversy, and, I am happy to add, as the inexhaustible store-house of religious truth, the Bible has, indeed, in most ages, been assiduously frequented. But how few possess an intellectual and moral relish, (and the two should never be disjoined) for the beauties of Scripture ! In many instances, a religious reverence, very sincere, but not very enlightened, induces even those who have received a liberal education to shrink back, as though it were a kind of sacrilege, from an examination of Scrip ture, with respect to the excellencies of its style and man ner. The indisposition of several to this pursuit may not improperly be traced to some defectiveness, either in the kind, or the degree, of their religious training : I speak not here of the unthinking or profane ; no man is authorised, or should be expected, to look for recreation in the Scrip-
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 7
tures, who has not previously applied, and who does not habitually apply to them, for guidance and instruction ; but there are multitudes under the influence of a religious prin ciple, however imperfect, yet undeniably conscientious, who are not fond of the Bible ; and this principally from want of proper training. These men have never found devotion pleasurable; to them it is a thing unmixedly awful ; they never dream of seeking recreation from it ; they go to it as a solemn and rather painful duty, and they get away from it as soon as they conscientiously can. Such men do not, and cannot taste the beauties of Scrip ture ; in the study of it, they are too much alarmed to feel at ease ; and ease is indispensable to the fair exercise of taste. Dr. Johnson was eminently of this class : and what he writes of the Paradise Lost, had reverential awe per mitted, he would probably have said of the Bible : — " Its " perusal is a duty, rather than a pleasure. We read Mil- " ton for instruction, retire harassed and overburthened, and " look elsewhere for recreation : we desert our Master, and " seek for companions." Now, it is certain, that in reli gious matters, the training of this great and good man was not of the happiest kind : his own account of it is instruc tive, and bears particularly on the subject of this note : " Sunday was a heavy day to me when 1 was a boy. My " mother confined me on that day, and made me read The " Whole Duty of Man, from a great part of which I could " derive no instruction. When, for instance, I had read the " chapter on theft, which from my infancy I had been taught " was wrong, I was no more convinced that theft was wrong " than before : so there was no accession of knowledge. " A boy should be introduced to such books, by having " his attention directed to the arrangement, to the style, " and other excellencies of composition ; that the mind, " being thus engaged in an amusing variety of objects, " may not grow weary. — I fell into an inattention to " religion, or an indifference about it, in my ninth year
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8 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
" The church at Litchfield, in which we had a seat, wanted " reparation; so I was to go and find a seat in other " churches ; and having bad eyes, and being awkward " about this, I used to go and read in the fields on " Sunday. This habit continued till my fourteenth year ; " and still I find a great reluctance to go to church." BoswelPs Life of Johnson, vol. i. p. 44. Independently of constitutional disease, morbid melancholy, and unfavour able circumstances in after-life, the facts, here stated as they came from his own lips in familiar conversation, may be sufficient to account for much that was erroneous, and not a little that was defective, in the religion of Dr. John son. His earliest and most indelible impressions of pious reading, as well as of public worship, were of an un- pleasing kind. Can we wonder, therefore, when we find him repeatedly taking himself to task for neglect of the Scriptures; and perpetually making resolutions on that subject, which he was unable to reduce to practice ; when we hear him confess, that he had never read the Bible through ; and when we fail to discover a single record of his deriving pleasure from the study of that volume ? An observation which I have made elsewhere, I will here take the liberty of repeating : " One great reason why so few " people in the world are truly religious, and why, among " the truly religious, so many are not happy in their " religion, is this, that early religious habits are too com- " monly associated, not with cheerfulness, but with con- " straint and gloom."
This view of things cannot fail to excite painful re flections, but happily there is a brighter side of the sub ject : for, to those who have been instituted in a better school, and who have made due advances on their early institution, the sacred volume is the most cheerful of com panions. It is the character of the happy man, that " his " delight is in the law of the Lord :" not merely, though that be the supreme excellence of Scripture, as spiritually
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 9
excellent, but also, as pre-eminently beautiful and sublime. And it may be pronounced with confidence, that if a man's faith be strong, if his religious affections be fervent, if his religious views be bright and cheerful, if his natural taste be good in itself, and properly cultivated, and if his mind have been healthfully exercised in the walks both of pro fane and sacred letters, that man will infallibly make the book of God's word his chosen pleasure-ground. This note has grown to considerable length : but the subject of it is eminently practical : and the introduction of such a subject, will, I trust, not be esteemed unseasonable, at the opening of a work like the present.
(2) General opinion that the books of the prophets were written in mere prose.'] Scaliger, ( Animadv. in Chron. Euseb. p. 6.) and Vitringa, (Proleg. in Jesaiam p. 8.) have attributed a kind of oratorial measure to the composition of Isaiah ; but they distinctly except against its being, on that account, termed poetry. Herman Van der Hardt, aptly named the Hardouin of Germany, attempted to reduce Joel's elegies, as he called them, to Iambic verse ; and, consistently with his hypothesis, he assumed, that the prophets in general wrote in metre. " This," says Bishop Lowth, " is the only exception I meet with to the univer- " sality of the contrary opinion." See the Prelimin. Dissert, to Isaiah, p. ii. 2d ed. 4to. Lond. 1779; to which edition any future references in this work shall be made.
(3) Numerous efforts to restore the theory of Hebrew versification. ~] Any thing like an historical or critical detail of the attempts made to discover and describe the system of Hebrew versification, would require a volume, rather than a note ; and, after all, the intrinsic value of the subject would ill repay the writer or the reader. As, however, this is a matter of some curiosity, a brief sketch in the way of catalogue may not be unacceptable ; espe-
10 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
cially as the sources of information respecting it have never, with any degree of fulness, been indicated to the English student.
The earliest record concerning the structure of Hebrew poetry is Exodus, xv. 1 — 21.: from thence we learn, that it was fitted for alternate recitation, with musical accom paniments. Of this alternate recitation there are many subsequent examples in the Old Testament ; but, whether the poetry was or was not metrical, Scripture gives no sort of intimation.
Josephus (Ant. Jud. ii. 16. § 4., iv. 8. § 44., vii. 12. § 3.) and Philo Judaeus (de Vit. Contempl. p. 893. edit. Par. 1649.) assert that the Hebrew poetry had metres, resem bling those of the classical authors. Origen, (ap. Hieron. Praef. ad Euseb. Chron.) Eusebius, (Praep. Evang. ii. 3.) S. Jerome, (Praef. ad Euseb. Chron.) and S. Isidore, (Ori gen. i. 18.) make similar assertions; in support of which, like their Jewish predecessors, they fail to bring forward any proof. These ancients are ably and satisfactorily refuted by Joseph Scaliger, Animadv. in Chron. Euseb. pp. 6—8. Nor should it be omitted, that S. Gregory Nyssen (1 Tract, in Psalm, cap. iv.) expressly denies the fact of any resemblance between the composition of the Psalms and the classic metres.
Among the moderns, Fr. Vatablus, Andr. Masius, M. V. Reatinus, J. Croius, L. Fabricius, N. Petraeus, and Theod. Ebertus attempted to investigate, or to restore, the Hebrew versification. The result, or rather the failure, of their efforts, is compendiously stated by Augustus Pfeiffer, Dub. Vexat. Cent. III. loc. xlvi. p. 530. seqq.
In the year 1637, Fr. Gomar published his " Lyra " Davidis : seu Nova hebraeae S. Scripturae ars poetica, " canonibus suis descripta, et exemplis sacris, et Pindari " ac Sophoclis parallelis demonstrata." This work was hailed with approbation by J. Buxtorf, D. Heinsius, L. De Dieu, Const. L'Empereur, and others ; but warmly
SECT. I.J SACRED LITERATURE. 11
opposed by L. Cappel, " Animadv. in Novam Lyram ; " by Abr. Calovius, « Crit. Sacr." p. 337; by Conr. Dan- hauer, " Hermeneut. Sacr." p. 344 ; by Aug. Pfeiffer, "Dub. Vexat." p. 553; and by Salom Van Till, « De Poes. et Music. Veterum." It was well observed, that, by Gomar's rules, any piece of writing might be reduced to every kind of metre.
After some interval, followed Marcus Meibomius ; who boasted, that to him was revealed the long-lost secret of Hebrew versification ; and that, through his means, by divine destiny ) two great discoveries were about to break forth on the world: namely, the science of Hebrew metre; and a more perfect knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, than had been possessed by the Alexandrine translators, and by the whole body of interpreters since their time. His secret, however, he determined not to disclose with out an ample pecuniary recompense ; and, meeting neither patron nor purchaser at home, he passed over from Belgium into England, in fruitless quest of applause and money. His reasonable proposals were, that when six thousand subscribers (his own words are " sex millia curiosorum hominum") should give in their names, and subscriptions at five pounds sterling for each copy, he would go to press. He forwarded addresses on the sub ject, to the different sovereigns of Europe ; and published three specimens of his work; the first in 1678, the last in 1698 : but the mass of his important secret he carried to the grave. Posterity may contentedly endure the de privations : the absurdity of his specimens, we are told by competent witnesses, was equalled only by their arrogance, and by the reproaches which he dared to fling upon the Sacred Text. He was severely chastised by J. H. Maius, B. H. Gebhardi, and J. J. Zentgravius.
The system of Van der Hardt nearly resembled that of Meibomius. His " First three Elegies of Joel" were pub lished at Helmstadt, 1706. He went so far as to affirm, not merely that Hebrew poetry is metrical, but that the
12 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
Iambics of classical poetry were borrowed from the He brews ; while, with an amusing versatility of paradox, he elsewhere taught, that Greek was the primitive lauguage.
Gomar had insisted both on rhymes and metre. Le Clerc, rejecting metre, espoused the scheme of 6//,oiOT£AguTa, or rhyming poetry ; according to Bishop Lowth, the most absurd and untenable of any proposed : See Le Clerc, " Comm. in Prophet." pp. 621 — 630. Amst. 1731 : also Biblioth. Univer. Amst. 1688. He was supported by M. Fourmont, " Mem. de 1'Academ. des Inscr." torn. vi. The same, or like opinions, were also adopted by Sig. Ga- rofalo, in a treatise published at Rome, 4to. 1707. Garo- falo was opposed by Barnabas Schachius, otherwise Ra phael Rabbenius ; a Jew, according to the " Acta Erudi- torum," a Christain, according to Wolff. The system of Le Clerc was further opposed, by Dom. Calmet, " Diss. de Poes. Heb. ;" by M. Dacier, Preface to his edition of Horace, 1709; by Masclef, Gram. Hebr. edit. 1731 ; and by Mr. Arthur Bedford, in his "Temple Music:" also by Guarini, P. Simon, M. Du Pin, M. Heumann, and M. L' Abbe Fleuri ; all of whom reject both rhyme and metre.
In this country, the metrical system of the learned Bishop Hare naturally attracted more attention than any of the preceding : it did not, however, satisfy the public mind. We learn, from George Psalmanazar's Memoirs, that his lordship printed but five hundred copies of his Hebrew Psalter; one half of which he presented to his learned friends, at home and abroad ; the remaining copies sold but slackly, and the work has never been separately republished.* The Bishop's metrical system was overthrown by Bishop Lowth : repeated efforts were made for its re-edification by Dr. Thomas Edwards ; whose attacks on Lowth were both peevish and disrespectful. The Harian system, and the defences of it, will be little known to posterity, but from
* It is given, with several works of a like nature, in the 31st volume of the Thesaurus of Ugolini.
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 13
Bishop Lowth's " Shorter Confutation," annexed to his Preelections on Hebrew Poetry.
The Larger and Shorter Confutations of Bishop Lowth abundantly satisfied the learned public in general, that all efforts to discover the metre of Hebrew poetry must be fruitless. Some few writers, however, persevered in such attempts ; nor have continental scholars given over the pursuit, even at the present day. Four authors, in par-
Iticular, may be mentioned : — 1. Conrad. Gottl. Anton, in his " Conjectures respecting the Ancient Metre of the Hebrews," Leipz. 4to. 1770; in his "Vindication" of those " Conjectures," against the animadversions of Professors Bauer and Schmidt, Leipz. 8vo. 1771, and 1772; in his " Specimen of the Psalms reduced to Metre," &c. Viteberg, 8vo. ; and in his edition of " Solomon's Song," Leipz. 8vo. 1800. 2. Sir William Jones, in his " Poeseos Asiaticse Comment." Oxon. 1774. 3. E. J. Greve, in his " Last Chapters of the Book of Job, with a Treatise annexed respecting Hebrew Metres," &c. Davent. 1788; and in his "Metrical Edition of the Pro phets Nahum and Habacuc," Amst. 1793. 4. Jo. Joac him Bellermann, in his " Treatise on Hebrew Metres," Berlin, 8vo. 1813. Sir William Jones and Greve aimed at the fabrication of an art of Hebrew poetry, from the Arabic, and other cognate oriental dialects; Anton and Bellermann resolved Hebrew metre into a system of ac cents. Herder, on the other hand, and De Wette, the former in his " Epistles on the Study of Theology," and his "Treatise on the Genius of Hebrew Poetry," — the latter, in the prolegomena to his " Commentary on the Psalms," Heidelberg, 1811, have, after Professor Mi- chaelis, adopted and illustrated the principles of Bishop Lowth.
This catalogue, which might readily be extended, in cludes the more considerable writers, and works, on this obscure subject. In drawing it up, much aid has been de-
14 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
rived from the prolegomena to Bishop Hare's edition of the Psalms ; from Buddeus, " Hist. Eccl. Vet. Testament." partii. pp.291 — 297; from Weisius's Account of Bishop Hare's Metrical System ; and from the additional notes to the PrcBlectiones of Bishop Lowth, in Rosenmuller's edition of that work, published at Leipzig in 1815. Besides the " Notae et Epimetra" of Sir J. D. Michaelis, this edition contains large annotations by Rosenmiiller himself, toge ther with the above noticed dissertation of Weisius, and another dissertion by C. F. Richter, on the age of Job. From thence, as the latest and the fullest edition of the " Pr&lectiones" I shall make my citations.
On the subject of this note, further information may be had from Carpzov, « Intr. ad Libr. Can. Bibl. Vet. Test." par. ii. c. i. pp. 1 — 29. He gives a copious list of ancient and modern writers on Hebrew poetry.
(4) Two or three rabbinical dissertations. ~] I allude par ticularly to the extracts from Abarbanel, and Rabbi Asa- rias, given by the younger Buxtorf, in the " Mantissa Dissertationum," annexed to his edition of the book COSRI. The latter of these dissertations may be considered the technical basis of Bishop Lowth's System of Hebrew Poetry. There is also another short, but very important treatise, which the Bishop does not appear to have known ; at least he makes no mention of it, either in his Preelec tions, or in his Preliminary Dissertation to Isaiah ; nor have I seen it cited by any writer on the subject of Hebrew poetry. I mean the sixth treatise in the first volume of Schoettgen's " Horae Hebraicse," pp. 1249 — 1263. Under the title of " Exergasia Sacra," this learned writer, ably, distinctly, and, for the most part, accurately, lays down that very doctrine of parallelism, which it remained for Bishop Lowth to improve, to elucidate, and to invest with all the graces of attractive composition. Schoettgeri exhi bits ten varieties of parallelism, in ten canons ; each canon
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 15
is supported by three clear examples ; and the canons thus established, are applied to the interpretation of perplexed and obscure passages of Scripture. The whole discussion affords a good model for the conduct of biblical inquiries ; in fact, Schoettgen seems to have apprehended, more dis tinctly than most of our later critics, the interpretative value of the parallelism. See especially his seventh dissertation ; in which he applies the doctrine of Exergasia, as he calls it, to the elucidation of Genesis, xlix. 10.
(5) BISHOP LOWTH.] If it be questioned, that the Preelections and Isaiah of this eminent prelate gave rise to a new era in sacred literature, let the present sedate and intelligent agreement of the first biblical scholars on the subject of Hebrew poetry, be contrasted with that obscurity and unsettlement, which, during the seventeenth and the earlier part of the eighteenth century, perplexed the learned world on the same subject ; and then, let it be remembered, that, at home and abroad, Bishop Lowth is almost univer sally appealed to, as the ultimate and classical authority in these matters.
(6.) The regularly alphabetical commencement of lines."] On the nature of the Hebrew acrostic, see Bishop Lowth, Prael.iii. pp.29. Prelim. Dissert, pp.iv— vi. The alphabeti cal poems are, Psalms xxv. xxxiv. xxxvii. cxi. cxii. cxix. cxlv. Prov. xxxi. 10—31. Lament, i. ii. iii. iv.
(7.) The paragogic particles.'] See Bishop Lowth, Prael. iii. pp. 30 — 32. with Michaelis's note, pp. 430 — 432. It is remarkable, that, in the Preliminary Dissertation to Isaiah, no mention is made of these particles ; whence may safely be inferred, how little stress the Bishop was disposed to lay on them, as characteristics of Hebrew Poetry: for, in that Dissertation, he gave his last, his fullest, and his most mature views of the subject.
16 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
(8.) The rhyming termination of lines.'} See Lowth ; Metr. Har. Brev. Conf. p. 407. — Weisius ; Har. Syst. Metr, p. 707. — and Hare ; Proleg. to Psalms, pp. 3. 8. 9. 10. 39.
(9.) Strong reasons for believing that the Hebrew poets never used metre."] It is here my duty to dissent from Bishop Lowth ; this duty cannot be other than a painful one; it is like resisting a benefactor. On this, and any future occasion, where I may be obliged to express a dif ferent opinion from this great man, I hope never to lose sight of the conviction,, that, if HE had not written on He brew poetry, the literary world must, probably, at this day, have been altogether in the dark upon the subject.
On the question of Hebrew metre, Bishop Lowth is an unwilling writer. He terms it difficult, and exceedingly obscure ; he owns, that he would gladly have avoided the discussion, could he have done so consistently with the de sign of his Lectures ; he professes, that he will make the attempt with brevity and caution ; and that, feeling himself embarked on an ocean dishonoured by the shipwreck of many eminent persons, he will only presume to coast along the shore* Under such impressions, it is not extraordinary that he should speak with more than common hesitation. He begins by asserting, that certain of the Hebrew writ ings are not only animated with the true poetic spirit, but, in some degree, couched in poetic numbers f; yet, he allows, that the quantity, the rhythm, or modulation of Hebrew poetry, not only is unknown, but admits of no investigation by human art or industry J ; he states, after Abarbanel, that the Jews themselves disclaim the very memory of metrical composition § ; he acknowledges, that the artificial con formation of the sentences, is the sole apparent indication of metre in these poems || ; he barely maintains the credibility
* Prael. iii. p. 28. f Ibid. p. 29. J Ibid. p. 34-.
§ Prael. xviii. p. 194. || Ibid. p. 197.
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 17
of attention having been paid to numbers or feet in their compositions ; and, at the same time, he confesses the utter impossibility of determining, whether Hebrew poetry was modulated by the ear alone, or according to any definite and settled rules of prosody * : language, in all its parts, in dicative of much embarrassment ; admissions, which, fairly put together, amount to a virtual surrender of the point that he labours to maintain.
The occasion of the Bishop's embarrassment may be not improbably assigned. As Professor of poetry, it was his duty to deliver Preelections on poetry, properly so called ; now his classical habits and predilections would natu rally lead him to consider metre of some kind indispensable to poetry; while, at the same time, the disgraceful failure of all previous attempts to discover metre in the parts of Scripture accounted poetical, rendered him avowedly cautious, lest, in his own person, he might add one to the number of discomfited adventurers. From this mixture of prejudice and apprehension, I am inclined to account for the hesitancy, and, we might almost say, the self-con tradiction, of his language. He might better have boldly stated, that the technicality of HebrewT poetry, though altogether different from the prosodical technicality of the classics, abundantly distinguishes the composition from simple prose ; while the ardour and elevation with which that arrangement is frequently accompanied, entitles many Hebrew compositions to rank with poetry of the highest class. He might thus, instead of- " coasting along the shore," have at once landed in the country, and explored it.
But it is proper to examine Bishop Lowth's only argu ment for the existence, in Hebrew poetry, of metre, or rhythmical composition. After describing the alphabetical poems, his Lordship thus proceeds : " In the first place, " we may safely conclude, that the poems perfectly alpha- " betical consist of verses properly so called ; of verses
* Prsel. xix. p. 225. C
IS SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
" regulated by some observation of harmony or cadence, " of measure, numbers, or rhythm. For it is not at all " probable, in the nature of the thing, or from examples " of the like kind in other languages, that a portion of " mere prose, in which numbers and harmony are totally " disregarded, should be laid out according to a scale " of division, which carries with it such evident marks of " study and labour ; of art in the contrivance, and exact- " ness in the execution." — Prelim. Dissert, to Isaiah, p. vii. This argument is then analogically extended to the poems imperfectly alphabetical; and further, in like manner, to those compositions which, though not alpha betical, have, in all other respects, the same characteristic features with those that are alphabetical. The fairness of the analogical reasoning employed in this case cannot properly be questioned : that is, if the argument be cogent respecting the alphabetical poems, we must needs allow its cogency respecting the non-alphabetical ; but what I mainly doubt, is, the validity of the argument in the first instance ; and, if it fail there, it must fail altogether. Let us then consider, whether there be not, in the terms em ployed, a kind of ignoratio elenchi.
" It is not at all probable," the Bishop says, " that a " portion of mere prose, in which numbers and harmony " are totally disregarded, should be laid out according " to a scale of division that carries with it such evident " marks of study and labour ; of art in the contrivance, " and exactness in the execution." Now is there not, in these words, a departure, unintentional I am sure, but still a departure, from the real state of the case ? For, do the opponents of a strictly metrical system assert, that the Psalms, for instance, are "mere prose?" And, while they reject poetical numbers, do they also maintain, that " harmony is totally disregarded?" If they do not thus assert, and thus maintain, his lordship's argument falls to the ground ; and that they do not so assert, and so main tain, is probable, on a two-fold account : first, because that
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 19
very " scale of division," and that " studious, elaborate, " artificial, and exact contrivance and execution," to which his lordship refers, and which, on all hands, are admitted, are, in themselves, sufficient to take the composition out of the sphere of prose, and place it in the sphere of poetry ; and, secondly, because the rejection of poetical numbers, properly so called, by no means implies the assertion, that " harmony is totally disregarded."
But I am willing to meet the Bishop's argument on broader ground : I am ready to inquire, whether the phe nomena do not, not only authorise, but powerfully suggest, and I could almost say compel, a course of reasoning diametrically the reverse of that employed by his lordship ; whether, to come directly to the point, a highly artificial, and, in all books except the Scripture, unparalleled species of regular, pointed, sententious, and elaborate construc tion, does not furnish a strong argument against the pro bable co-existence of metre ? It is certain, that, throughout the works and word of God we do not commonly observe a redundancy of means-, and we are assured, that the pecu liar and unquestionable artifices of what is called Hebrew poetry, abundantly distinguish it from ordinary prose ; while we may learn, both from our own feelings and from the testi mony of all competent judges, that these artifices, in com bination with the excellence of the subject-matter, have, in numerous instances, the effect of giving to the composition all that commanding and delightful interest which attaches to poetry of the noblest kind. This is all undeniable^^ .- why then have recourse to the hypothesis^ (for it can be no more ; proof is out of possibility) of an additional artifice ? This would seem, in contradiction to all known analogy, a gratuitous waste of means ; and till some undeniable, and, as matters stand at present, inconceivable necessity be pro duced for its adoption, the inference must lie decidedly against it. But I will go further : such additional artifice not only seems to have been unnecessary ; it may be rea sonably argued, that it would have been positively injurious ;
c 2
£0 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
that its tendency must have been, to counteract the pe culiar and distinguishing excellence of Hebrew poetry ; namely, its transfusibility, by mere literal translation, into all languages ; an excellence, not only unattainable in classical poetry, but prevented by classical metre. Clas sical poetry is the poetry of one language and of one people : the words are, I will not say chosen, (though this be some times the case) but arranged, with a view, not primarily to the sense, but to the sound; in literal translation, therefore, especially if the order of the original words be preserved, not only the melody is lost, but the sense is irreparably injured. Hebrew poetry, on the contrary, is universal poetry ; the poetry of all languages, and of all peoples : the collocation of the words, (whatever may have been the sound, for of this we are quite ignorant) is pri marily directed to secure the best possible announcement and discrimination of the sense : let, then, a translator only be literal, and, so far as the genius of his language will admit, let him preserve the original order of the words *, and he will infallibly put the reader in possession of all, or nearly all, that the Hebrew text can give to the best Hebrew scholar of the present day. Now, had there been originally metre, the case, it is presumed, could, hardly have been such ; somewhat must have been sacri ficed to the importunities of metrical necessity ; the sense could not have invariably predominated over the sound ; and the poetry could not have been, as it unquestionably and emphatically is, a poetry, not of sounds, or of words, but of things. Let not this last assertion, however, be misinterpreted: I would be understood merely to assert that sound, and words in subordination to sound, do not
* On the advantage of literal translation, and of preserving the original order of the words, something additional will be found towards the close of Section IV. and in note (5) upon that Section : but, in the first instance, reference should be made to Bishop Lowth's " Preliminary Dissertation," p. xxxv — xxxvii.
SECT. I.] SACRED LITERATURE. 21
in Hebrew, as in classical poetry, enter into the essence of the thing : but it is happily undeniable, that the words of the poetical Scriptures are exquisitely fitted to convey the sense ; and it is highly probable, that, in the life-time of the language, the sounds were sufficiently harmonious : when I say sufficiently harmonious, I mean so harmonious, as to render the poetry grateful to the ear in recitation, and suitable to musical accompaniment; for which pur poses, the cadence of well-modulated prose would fully answer; a fact, which will not be controverted by any person with a moderately good ear, that has ever heard a chapter of Isaiah skilfully read from our authorised trans lation ; that has ever listened to one of KENT'S anthems well performed, or to a song from the Messiah of HANDEL,
If the reasoning of this note be satisfactory to the reader, it may throw some additional light on the poetry of the Old Testament : it may also serve to establish, that if all other requisites be there, the mere absence of poetical numbers cannot defeat the claim of any passage in the New Testament, so qualified, to rank with the poetical portions of the Old.
(10) Compositions undeniably poetical, which do not rise above the ordinary tone of just and clear conceptions, calmly, yet pointedly delivered.^ " There are passages," says Bishop Lowth, " and those not inelegant, which possess " little more of the characteristics of poetry than the versi- " sification" (which must go for nothing, as it is admitted to be undiscoverable] " and that terseness and adaptation of the " sentences, which constitute so important a part, even " of the harmony of verse. This is manifest in most of " the didactic Psalms, as well as in some others, the mat- " ter, order, diction, and thoughts of which, are clearly " historical ; but the conformation of the sentences wholly *' poetical." Lect. iv. Dr. Gregory's Translat. vol.i. p. 99. Now, if the same terseness, the same adaptation, the same conformation of the sentences be plainly and obviously
c 3
22 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. I.
apparent in many passages of the New Testament, in what respect can such passages be justly said to differ from the didactic and historical poetry of the Old ?
(11) Parallelism.'] A brief description of the poetical parallelism is given, after Lowth and Herder, in Dr. Ge rard's " Institutes of Biblical Criticism :" Part, i, ch. v. sect. 1. A more satisfactory compend may be found in the " Hermeneutica Sacra" of Professor Bauer, p. 168 — 174; a work, which, on account of its daring and licen tious scepticism, is wholly unfit for the commencing student, and should be read with caution even by the proficient. It is to be regretted, that the writings of this foreigner have been recommended to the academical youth of our country, without a single note of reprehension, from one of our most distinguished professorial chairs. A far better analysis of the parallelism than either of those just mentioned, is inserted in Mr. Home's useful " Intro- " duction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the "Holy Scriptures," vol. i. p. 318 — 324. His first ex ample is St. Luke i. 52, 53. " This parallelism of members " of sentences," he, however, immediately adds, " does " not occur very frequently in the New Testament." Though I hope to shew cause, why, in future editions, the word " NOT " should be expunged from Mr. Home's text, I am not sorry to meet even this partial admission, in a compilation which deserves, and which probably will attain, much popularity as an elementary treatise. *
* Since the appearance of my first edition ( 1820), this anticipated popularity has been more than realized, by nu merous editions of Mr. Home's work. His " Introduction/' as now enlarged, contains a full recognition of New Testament parallelism,
SECTION II.
I NOW proceed to illustrate more particularly the poetical parallelism ; which I shall do in the words, and chiefly by the examples, of Bishop Lowth; derived from his Nineteenth Preelection, and from his Preliminary Dissertation to Isaiah.
In Hebrew poetry, there is a certain correspond ence of the verses one with another; a certain relation, also, between the composition of the verses, and the composition of the sentences ; the formation of the former depending principally upon the distribution of the latter ; so that, gene rally, periods coincide with stanzas, members with verses, and pauses of the one, with pauses of the other. This correspondence is called parallelism : when a proposition is delivered, and a second is drawn under it, equivalent to, or contrasted with it, in sense, or similar to it, in the form of grammatical construction, these are called parallel lines; and the words or phrases answering one to another in the corresponding lines, parallel terms.
The poetical parallelism has much variety, and many gradations : it is sometimes more accurate and manifest, sometimes more vague and obscure : it may, however, be generally distributed into three kinds ; parallels synonymous ; parallels antithetic ; and parallels synthetic, or constructive.
c 4
24 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. II.
Parallel lines synonymous are those which cor respond one to another, by expressing the same sense in different, but equivalent terms ; when a proposition is delivered, and immediately repeated, in the whole, or in part, the expression being varied, but the sense entirely, or nearly the same ; for example :
Seek ye Jehovah, while he may be found ; Call ye upon him, while he is near : Let the wicked forsake his way ; And the unrighteous man his thoughts : And let him return unto Jehovah, and he will com passionate him ;
And unto our God, for he abouncleth in forgiveness.
Isaiah, Iv. 6, 7.
O Jehovah, in thy strength the king shall rejoice ; And in thy salvation, how greatly shall he exult I The desire of his heart thou hast granted him ; And the request of his lips thou hast not denied.
Psalm xxi. 1, 2.
Honour Jehovah with thy riches ; And with the first-fruits of all thine increase.
Proverbs, iii. 9.
Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah ; That greatly rejoiceth in his commandments.
Psalm cxii. 1.
Parallel lines antithetic are, when two lines cor respond with one another, by an opposition of terms and sentiments ; when the second is con trasted with the first, sometimes in expressions, sometimes in sense only. Accordingly, the de grees of antithesis are various 5 from an exact
SECT. II.] SACRED LITERATURE. 25
centra-position of word to word, singulars to sin gulars, plurals to plurals, &c., through the whole sentence, down to a general disparity with some thing of a contrariety, in the two propositions ; for example : —
Faithful are the wounds of a friend ; But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Proverbs, xxvii. 6.
A wise son rejoiceth a father ;
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
Prow. x. 1. (I)
The memory of the just is a blessing ; But the name of the wicked shall rot.
Prov. x. 7.
Many seek the face of the prince ;
But the determination concerning a man is from Jehovah.
Prov. xxix. 26.
These in chariots, and those in horses ;
But we in the name of Jehovah our God, will be strong :
They are bowed down and fallen ;
But we are risen, and maintain ourselves firm.
Psalm xx. 79 8.
Parallel lines constructive are, when the paral lelism consists only in the similar form of con struction ; in which, word does not answer to word, and sentence to sentence, as equivalent or opposite ; but there is a correspondence and equality between different propositions, in respect of the shape and turn of the whole sentence, and of the constituent parts ; such as, noun answering to noun, verb to verb, interrogative to' interrogative. To this de-
»f SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. II.
scription of parallelism may be referred all such as do not come within the two former classes. The variety of this form is accordingly very great. Sometimes the parallelism is more, sometimes less exact: sometimes hardly at all apparent. The following examples will suffice : —
Praise ye Jehovah, ye of the earth ;
Ye sea-monsters, and all deeps :
Fire and hail, snow and vapour ;
Stormy wind, executing his command :
Mountains, and all hills ;
Fruit-trees, and all cedars :
Wild beasts, and all cattle ;
Reptiles, and birds of wing :
Kings of the earth, and all peoples ;
Princes, and all judges of the earth :
Youths, and also virgins ;
Old men, together with the children :
Let them praise the name of Jehovah ;
For his name alone is exalted ;
His majesty, above earth and heaven.
Psalm cxlviii. 7 — 13.
The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul ;
The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple;
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart ;
The commandment of Jehovah is clear, enlightening the eyes ;
The fear of Jehovah is pure, enduring for ever ;
The judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are altogether righteous :
More desirable than gold, and than much fine gold ;
And sweeter than honey, and the dropping of honey combs. Psalm xix. 7 — 10.
Respecting the three species of parallelism, it
SECT. II.] SACRED LITERATURE. #7
should be observed, that, separately, each kind admits many subordinate varieties ; and that, in combinations of verses, the several kinds are per petually intermingled ; circumstances, which at once enliven and beautify the composition, and frequently give peculiar distinctness and precision to the train of thought. A few subordinate varieties are added ; the exemplifications of which are taken chiefly from Bishop Lowth.
Sometimes the lines are bi-membral ; that is, they consist, each of double members, or two pro positions ; for example : —
Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and descend ; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke : Dart forth thy lightning, and scatter them ; Shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Psalm cxliv. 5, 6.
And they shall build houses, and shall inhabit them ; And they shall plant vineyards, and shall eat the fruit
thereof:
They shall not build, and another inhabit ; They shall not plant, and another eat.
Isaiah, Ixv. 21, 22.
Parallels are sometimes formed by a repetition of part of the first sentence : —
My voice is unto God, and I cry aloud :
My voice unto God, and he will hearken unto me :
I will remember the works of Jehovah ;
Yea, I will remember thy wonders of old : —
The waters saw thee, O God ;
The waters saw thee ; they were seized with anguish.
Psalm Ixxvii. 1, 2. 16.
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. II.
Sometimes, in the latter line, a part is to be supplied from the former, to complete the sen- tence : —
The mighty dead tremble from beneath ; The waters, and they that dwell therein.
Job) xxvi. 5.
There are parallel triplets ; where three lines correspond together, and form a kind of stanza ; of which, however, only two lines are commonly synonymous : —
The wicked shall see it, and it shall grieve him ; He shall gnash with his teeth, and pine away ; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Psalm cxii. 10.
That day, let it become darkness ; Let not God from above inquire after it ; Nor let the flowing light radiate upon it.
Job, iii. 4;.
There are parallels consisting of four lines ; two distichs being so connected together by the sound and the construction, as to make one stanza : —
Be not moved with indignation against the evil doers ; Nor with zeal, against the workers of iniquity : For, like the grass, they shall soon be cut off; And like the green herb, they shall wither.
Psalm xxxvii. 1, 2.
The ox knoweth his owner ;
And the ass the crib of his lord :
But Israel doth not know ;
My people doth not consider.
Isaiah) i. 3.
SECT. II.] SACRED LITERATURE. 29
In stanzas of four lines, sometimes the parallel lines answer to one another alternately ; the first, to the third ; and the second, to the fourth : —
As the heavens are high above the earth ;
So high is his goodness over them that fear him : As remote as the east is from the west ;
So far hath he removed from us our transgressions.
Psalm ciii. 11, 12.
And ye said, Nay, but on horses will we flee ;
Therefore shall ye be put to flight : And on swift coursers will we ride ;
Therefore shall they be swift that pursue you.
Isaiah^ xxx. 16.
Sometimes, in the alternate quatrain, by a peculiar artifice of construction, the third line forms a continuous sense with the first, and the fourth with the second. Of this variety, a striking example occurs in Bishop Lowth's nineteenth preelection : its distinguishing feature, however, is not there sufficiently noted : more justice has been done to the passage by Mr. Parkhurst (Heb. Lexicon, Voce jnS) whose translation follows : —
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood ;
And my sword shall devour flesh : With the blood of the slain and the captive ;
From the hairy head of the enemy.
Deut. xxxii. 42.
That is, reducing the stanza to a simple quatrain :
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood ; With the blood of the slain and the captive :
30 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. II.
And my sword shall devour flesh ; From the hairy head of the enemy.
Again,
From without, the sword shall destroy ;
And in the inmost apartments terror ; Both the young man and the virgin ;
The suckling, with the man of grey hairs.
Deut. xxxii. 25.
The youths and virgins, led out of doors by the vigour and buoyancy natural at their time of life, fall victims to the sword in the streets of the city : while infancy and old age, confined by helpless ness and decrepitude to the inner chambers of the house, perish there by fear, before the sword can reach them.
Mr. Green, in his " Poetical parts of the New Testament," observes that there is a similar hyper- baton in Isaiah, xxxiv. 6. And my learned friend, Dr. Hales, reduces to a similar form, that remark able prophecy, Genes, xlix. 10. :
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah ;
Nor a scribe of his offspring : Until Shiloh shall come ;
And [until] to him a congregation of peoples.
That is, according to Dr. Hales, the sceptre, or civil government, shall not depart, till the coming or birth of Shiloh ; and the scribe or expounder of the law, intimating ecclesiastical regimen, shall not depart, or cease, until there shall be formed a congregation of peoples, a church of Christian wor-
SECT. II.] SACRED LITERATURE. 31
shippers from various nations ; the former branch of this prophecy was fulfilled, when Augustus made his enrolment preparatory to the census throughout Judea and Galilee ; thereby degrading Judea to a Roman province : the latter branch was fulfilled at the sacking of Jerusalem by Titus ; when the temple was destroyed, and the Jewish ritual abolished.
Some periods, also, may be considered as form ing stanzas of five lines ; in which the odd line or member usually either comes in between two distichs 5 or, after two distichs, makes a full close : - —
Who is wise, and will understand these things ? Prudent and will know them ?
For right are the ways of Jehovah ; And the just shall walk in them ; And the disobedient shall fall therein.
Hosea, xiv. 9.
Who establisheth the word of his servant ; And accomplisheth the counsel of his messenger : Who sayeth to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited ; And to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built ; And her desolate places I will restore.
Isaiah, xliv. 26.
The five-lined stanza sometimes consists of an alternate quatrain, with a fifth line annexed ; thus : —
Who is there among you that feareth Jehovah ?
Let him hearken unto the voice of his servant ; That walketh in darkness, and hath no light?
32 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. II.
Let him trust in the name of Jehovah ; And rest himself on the support of his God.
Isaiah, 1. 10.
These are the chief varieties of parallelism, and of combinations of lines, or stanzas, noticed by Bishop Lowth : for a few others, the reader is referred to his lordship's nineteenth preelection, and to his preliminary dissertation. Some varieties also, that have escaped his observation, as well as that of other writers on the subject, shall be exemplified in a future section : but, in the first place, attention is demanded to what appears no trifling error, in the Bishop's nomenclature, and definition, of the first kind of parallelism : this will be the subject of the next section.
NOTE ON SECTION II.
( 1 ) Proverbs, x. i.]— Glass, Philol. Sacr. p. 1 228. (395. ed. Bauer.) says, that in each member of this verse, both father and mother are to be understood ; though, in the first member, the father only, and, in the second member, only the mother is mentioned. Bishop Lowth more justly states, that " the terms father and mother, are, as the logicians " say, relatively opposite." Prel. Diss. p. xix. The truth is, that, on Glass's plan, the force and beauty of the passage would be lost. It is to be understood thus : A wise son rejoiceth even a father ; whose demands are high, and whose affections are commonly of the sterner cast : but a foolish son is sorrow even to his mother ; whose tender-
SECT. II.] SACRED LITERATURE. 33
ness would be less ready to perceive his defects; and, when perceived, more apt to extenuate them. The ap- propriative term his, wanting in the case of the father, is added in that of the mother; probably to heighten the pathos. A passage of Seneca may help to illustrate this distinction. " Non vides, quanto aliter patres, aliter ma- " tres indulgeant ? Illi excitari jubent liberos ad studia " obeunda mature, feriatis quoque diebus non patiuntur " esse otiosos, et sudorem illis, et interdum lacrymas ex- " cutiunt : at matres fovere in sinu, continere in umbra " volunt, nunquam flere, nunquam tristari, nunquam la- " borare." De Provid. cap. ii. torn. i. p. 306. ed. Elzev. 1672.
D
SECTION III.
BISHOP LOWTH, in the eleventh page of his Pre liminary Dissertation, has the following words : " First, of parallel lines synonymous : that is, which " correspond one to another, by expressing the " same sense in different, but equivalent terms." Now, I must confess, it appears to me questionable whether there be any, and very certain that there are not many, parallelisms in Scripture, strictly synonymous ; not many, perhaps not one, consecu tive pair of lines, in which "the same sense" is ex pressed "in different, but equivalent terms." On this point, indeed, the excellent author of the dis sertation himself seems to have felt some misgiv ings : for, to the definition just cited, though in itself complete, and (assuming the subject-matter to be true) very clearly, adequately, and neatly ex pressed, his Lordship annexed a supplemental eluci dation. Conscious, it would seem, that his defini tion did not accurately correspond with the phse- nomena, he had recourse to guards and limitations ; and, it so happens, that those guards and limit ations are at variance with, and destructive of, the original definition. The whole passage stands as follows : " Parallel lines synonymous ; that is, " which correspond one to another, by expressing " the same sense, in different, but equivalent
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 35
" terms ; when a proposition is delivered, and is " immediately repeated, in the whole, or in part, " the expression being varied, but the sense entirely, " or nearly, the same." (1) That is, (if we assume the definition to agree, as it ought to agree, with its further explanation, and their correspondent terms to be mutually convertible) a part may be equivalent to the whole ; and the same sense, may be not the same sense, but only an approximation to the same sense. The truth is, the Bishop's ex- planation should have led him to re-examine his definition ; to compare that definition with a suffi cient number of scripture parallelisms from whence to form a safe induction ; or, at least, to try it closely by the test of his own examples : had his Lordship taken these steps, he might probably have seen cause to cast about for a nomenclature and a definition, more accordant with the real state of the case.
The fact appears to be, that, (with the exception of those rare instances, where, for the sake of em phasis, not only the same sense is repeated, but the same words) in the parallelisms commonly termed synonymous, the second, or responsive clause in variably diversifies the preceding clause ; and ge nerally so as to rise above it, forming a sort of climax in the sense. This last variety has been noticed and exemplified by Archbishop Newcome, in his Preface to Ezekiel (2): but that learned Prelate would seem by no means to have suspected its frequent occurrence, much less its general pre-
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36 SACRED LITERATURE, [SECT. III.
valence, in that class of parallelisms usually styled synonymous.
Within a brief compass, this point cannot pro bably be more fairly brought to issue, than by examining Bishop Lowth's own examples, of what he terms parallel lines synonymous ; to the critical student, I may venture to promise both inform ation and satisfaction, if he will institute this in quiry for himself; while, partly for his sake, but more especially for that of general readers, I shall produce, and observe upon, two of those examples, couched in the very language of the Bishop's own exact and elegant translation :
O Jehovah, in thy strength the king shall rejoice ; And in thy salvation, how greatly shall he exult : The desire of his heart thou hast granted him ; And the request of his lips, thou hast not denied.
Psalm xxi. 12.
The gradation of member above member, and line above line, in each couplet of this stanza, is unde niable: "salvation" is an advance upon "strength j" and " how greatly shall he exult," an advance upon " he shall rejoice :" again, "the request of the lips," is something beyond " the desire of the heart," — it is desire brought into act. The gradation in the last members of the last two lines, may not be equally obvious ; but it is by no means less certain : " thou " hast granted ; — thou hast not denied :" the ne gative form is here much stronger than the positive ; for it is a received canon of biblical philology, that verbs of negation, or, what amounts to the same
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 3^
thing, adverbs of negation prefixed to verbs, have, in such cases, the force of expressing the opposite affirmative with peculiar emphasis : — for example ; " the Lord will not hold him guiltless, who taketh his name in vain:" that is, WILL ASSUREDLY HOLD HIM GUILTY. Exod. xx. 7« Again :
And he blessed them, and they multiply greatly ; And their cattle he doth not diminish :
Psalm cvii. 38.
that is, he EXCEEDINGLY INCREASETH. See Glass. Philol. Sacr. pp. 801. 988. or in Bathe's Edition, pp. 231. 411. On this principle, in the above passage of the twenty-first Psalm, thou hast not denied, means, thou hast ASSUREDLY or ABUNDANTLY
GRANTED.
Seek ye Jehovah, while he may be found ; Call ye upon him, while he is near : Let the wicked forsake his way; And the unrighteous man his thoughts : And let him return to Jehovah, and he will compassion ate him ; And unto our God, for he aboundeth in forgiveness.
Isaiah, Iv. 6, 7.
In the first line, men are invited to seek Jehovah, not knowing where he is, and on the bare intelli gence that he may be found ; in the second line, having found Jehovah, they are encouraged to call upon him, by the assurance that he is NEAR. In the third line, the wicked, the positive, and pre sumptuous sinner, is warned to forsake his way, his habitual course of iniquity ; in the fourth line, the unrighteous, the negatively wicked, is called to
D .3
38 SACRED LITERATURE. [jSECT. III.
renounce the "very thought of sinning. While, in the last line, the appropriative and encouraging title OUR GOD, is substituted for the awful name of JEHOVAH; and simple compassion is heightened into overflowing mercy and forgiveness.
More might be added ; but it is enough to say, that all Bishop Lowth's examples of what he calls the Synonymous Parallelisms, might be examined in like manner, and with like success. And if, in any instance, the sense may, at the first view, appear to stand still, a nearer inspection will not fail to disclose some distinction of meaning ; and, in the great majority of cases, an unquestionable climax.
On the whole, therefore, it would appear, that Bishop Lowth's definition of this species of paral lelism ought to be corrected ; and, that the name also, should, at least, not be at variance with the thing. The term Progressive Parallelism would apply in all cases where there is a climax in the sense : but it may be preferable to use a term that will include other varieties : the anti-climax occa sionally occurs, and with powerful effect; some times there is an ascent from species to genus, for the purpose of generalisation ; sometimes a descent from genus to species, for the purpose of particular- isation : with these, and other varieties in view, if I might venture to suggest a name, it should be the COGNATE PARALLELISM ; in all such cases, there is close relationship, though by no means absolute identity.
This is no idle disquisition about words (3);
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 39
if things were not intimately concerned, it should assuredly be spared. But it is no trifling object to rescue the language of Scripture from the imput ation of gross tautology ; an imputation which could not easily be repelled, if the Sacred Volume were admitted to abound in consecutive pairs of lines strictly synonymous.* But another, and not less important consideration remains. It can, I apprehend, be satisfactorily shown, that a great object of the duality of members in Hebrew poetry, accompanied by a distinction, and, commonly, either a progress or antithesis, in the sense of re lated terms, clauses, and periods, is to make inex haustible provision for marking, with the nicest philosophical precision, the moral differences and relations of things. The Antithetic Parallelism serves to mark the broad distinctions between truth and falsehood, and good and evil : the Cognate Pa rallelism discharges the more difficult and more critical function, of discriminating between differ ent degrees of truth and good on the one hand, of falsehood and of evil on the other. And it is pro bable, that full justice will not be done to the lan guage, either of the Old Testament, or of the New, till interpreters qualified in all respects, and gifted alike with sagaciousness and sobriety of mind, shall
* The imputation is not new ; and the defence has been long since almost anticipated : " Nothing is thought more imperti- " nent in Scripture than the frequent repetitions : but the learned " need not to be told, that many things seem to the ignorant bare " repetitions, which yet ever bring along with them some LIGHT, " or some ACCESSION. — Boyle on the Style of Scripture, p. 90.
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40 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
accurately investigate these nice distinctions. One or two specimens shall now be given, of passages exemplifying this moral discrimination : —
Who shall ascend the mountain of Jehovah ? And who shall stand within his holy place ? The clean of hands, and the pure in heart.
Psalm xxiv. 3, 4.
To ascend marks progress ; to stand, stability and confirmation: the mountain of Jehovah ; the site of the divine sanctuary ; his holy place, the sanctuary itself: and in correspondence with the advance of the two lines which form the first couplet, there is an advance in the members of the third line : the clean of hands ; and the pure in heart : the clean of hands, shall ascend the mountain of Jehovah ; the pure in heart, shall stand within his holy place. To this example, I gladly acknowledge that my atten tion was directed by the greatest of the Latin Fa thers : his words are deserving of consideration. " Puto autem interesse inter rectum corde, et mun- " dum corde. Nam et rectus corde in ea quce sunt " ante extenditur, ea quce retro sunt obliviscens, ut " recto cursu, id est, recta fide et intentione per- " veniat, ubi habitet mundus corde. Sicut ilia " singula reddenda sunt singulis, ubi dictum est : " Quis ascendet in montem Domini, aut quis stabit in " loco sancto ejus ? Innocens manibus, et mundus " corde. Innocens manibus ascendet ; et mundus " corde stabit : illud in opere est, illud in fine." S. Augustin. De Perfectiorie Justitiae. cap. xv. torn. x. p. 183. ed. Bened. To the interpretation
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 41
of this great man, I most heartily subscribe ; to his use of that interpretation, and to the principles of the treatise in which it occurs, I would by no means unreservedly pledge myself. In combating the pernicious tenets of Pelagius, this " magnus opinator," to say the least, occasionally verged upon errors of an opposite kind.
O the happiness of that man,
Who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly ;
And hath not stood in the way of sinners ;
And hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
Psalm i.
The exclamation with which the Psalm opens, belongs equally to each line of the succeeding triplet. In the triplet itself) each line consists of three members; and the lines gradually rise, one above the other, not merely in their general sense, but specially, throughout their correspondent mem bers. To walk, implies no more than casual intercourse ; to stand, closer intimacy ; to sit, fixed and permanent connection: the counsel, the ordinary place of meeting, or public resort ; the way, the select and chosen foot-path ; the seat, the habitual and final resting-place: the ungodly, negatively wicked ; sinners, positively wicked ; the scornful, scoffers at the very name or notion of piety and goodness.
This climax has been noted by a multitude of the best commentators, Jewish and Christian, ancient and modern. See Poole's Synopsis, De Muis, Moller, Viccars, Genebrard, &c. and parti-
42 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
cularly Glass, Philol. Sacr. p. 2050; or, in the edition of Dathe, p. 1381 : among Jewish interpreters, Aben Ezra, among modern Christians, Junius, have been most exact in their analysis of the passage ; Theo- doret, among the Fathers.
The learned Gataker, (Advers. Misc. ap. Oper. Crit. torn. ii. pp. 170, 1?1.) vehemently denies the existence of this triple climax ; and would work up this beautiful series of well-discriminated moral pictures, into one colourless and undistinguishable mass.* As the sentiments of this laborious and acute, but perhaps not very philosophical scholar, have, respecting this passage, been implicitly adopted by several commentators, from our English Poole, to the German Rosenmuller, it may not be unserviceable to bring his argument to the test of a close, but fair examination.
His argument is, that, if there be a climax in the scale of wickedness, there must, of necessity, be an anti-climax in the scale of goodness ; it certainly implying much less virtue to be exempt from the highest, than from the lowest degree of vice. " If," says he, " we understand the Psalmist to say, " ' Beatus is est, qui nee cum improbe affectis con-
* I subjoin Gataker's own words: — " Quaenam ergo, dicat " quis, hymnographi mens genuina ? Hoc certe : eum vere bea- " turn esse hominem, qui ab omni prorsus cum improbis impiis- " que, qua sunt tales, commercio atque consortio alienum se " prcestiterit? " Clear, and cold, like a fine frosty night." Had the Psalmist written thus, we might say, " Very true : " but should we be affected, penetrated, and morally amended? I doubt not.
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 43
" * silium inierit ; nee cum prave viventium artibus " « malis se immiscuerit; nee cum obfirmatis in ma- " « leficio obstinate perstiterit/ — the sense will not " rise, but sink ; the first exemption being greater " than the second ; and the second, in like manner, " greater than the third ; a frigidity, and frivolity, " which it were monstrous to impute to the Royal " Psalmist."
Now, admitting, for a moment, this reasoning to be dialectically and forensically just, it might, per haps, be sufficient to reply, that the first Psalm is neither a logical disputation, nor a judicial pleading, but an affecting poem ; and, after citing an observ ation of professor Michaelis, that, " aliter poetas " vates tractabit, aliter merus grammaticus *," to add from Bishop Lowth, himself not less a reasoner than a poet, that, " In dialectica flagitium, in poe- " tica interdum est virtus, quia nimirum illic ratio, "hie affectus dominatur:"t that in poetry, the object is not so much ratiocinative conviction, as a powerful impression on the moral man, through the medium of the imagination and affections ; and that, in a poem, that order is the most judicious, which reserves for the last, the strongest and most im pressive matter ; in the present instance, for ex ample, the picture of obdurate pertinacity in evil.
But it would seem that the learned author of the " Adversaria" may be resisted on other, and on stronger grounds. It may, as I conceive, be justly
* Praef* ad Lowthi Prael. p. vi.
f Prael. de Sacr. Poes. xxiii. p. 270.
44 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
argued, that he did not accurately conceive the meaning of those, who find a climax in this disputed verse ; and, indeed, that he did not sufficiently keep in view the Psalmist's own avowed object. The alleged climax is an asccending series, not in the scale of moral goodness, but in the scale of con scious happiness, flowing out of an exemption from certain stages of moral evil : and, in each of the ascending terms, the consciousness of happiness must be measured by the magnitude of the evil from which the good man is exempted : a mode of understanding the passage in strict accordance with the main object of the Psalmist, who exclaims not, O the goodness, but O the happiness, &c. Now, con scious and reflective happiness must, as we have said, be measured by the magnitude of the evil avoided or escaped : the man who has escaped from ship wreck, will feel more happy in the sense of his deliverance, than the man who has escaped a shower of rain ; though, at the same time, the latter has re ceived less positive injury, and retains more positive comforts than the former : and, transferring this mode of reasoning to the case of a single individual, he, who, at one period of his life, has been delivered from a greater, arid, at another period of his life, from a less evil, whether of mind, body, or estate, will enjoy most reflective happiness, when his thoughts revert to the more considerable evil. On the supposition, then, of a climax in the contested verse, (and if there be not a climax, how account for so accurate a gradation, of such nicely selected
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 45
words ?) the Psalmist surely did well, in reserving for the last, not an exemption from the lowest stage of moral evil, but, an exemption from that awful, and, perhaps, irreversible state, in which wickedness becomes the settled habit of the soul : this last ex emption may, indeed, be justly accounted a low stage of moral deliverance : but what good man will not, at the very mention of it, be powerfully affected (as we read of the great Boerhaave,) by the thought, that such, but for the providence and grace of God, might now have been his own state ? The sense of present happiness is thus unspeakably heightened by the force of contrast : nor is this the whole : a salutary dread is thus infused, of the first and fatal step, which might ultimately issue in such hopeless consequences ; while, where the climax is thus alarming, the mind is admirably prepared by the painful ascent, to repose in the delightful and refreshing imagery of the next verses :
But his delight is in the law of Jehovah ;
And in his law will he meditate day and night :
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water ;
That bringeth forth its fruit in its season :
Its leaf also shall not wither ;
And whatsoever it produceth shall prosper. *
Psalm i. 2, 3.
It must be mentioned, that in a passage lately cited, which bears some resemblance to the first
* In preserving the metaphor unbroken to the close of the third verse, I am supported by several judicious critics : espe cially by Faber and Knapp.
46 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
verse of the first Psalm, the order of the climax is reversed :
Let the wicked forsake his way ;
And the unrighteous man his thoughts.
Isaiah, Iv. 6.
The " way of the wicked," in Isaiah, is clearly equivalent to " the way of sinners," in the Psalm ; and " the thoughts of the unrighteous," are tan tamount to " the counsel of the ungodly." But why is the order inverted ? For this plain reason, that the object of Isaiah is, not to illustrate conscious happiness, but to enforce moral rectitude ; a de sign, which demands a descent in the scale of evil, in order to an ascent in the scale of good. " Let " the confirmed sinner forsake his evil practices ; — " but this is not enough ; let him whose faults have " been rather negative than positive, put away even " his unrighteous thoughts : the very thought of " wickedness is sin."
One more example of moral gradation will suffice:
Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness ;
Ye that seek Jehovah :
Hearken unto me, my people ;
And my nation, give ear unto me :
Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness ;
The people in whose heart is my law.
Isaiah, li. 1. 4. 7.
The ascent in this three-fold classification, is very manifest.
The faithful Jews are addressed, first, as in pur suit of righteousness, as seeking Jehovah (a clause, it
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 4«7
maybe observed, harmonising with St.Matt. vi. 33.): secondly, as, in consequence of that pursuit, ac cepted and acknowledged, as God's people, and nation : and, lastly, as /mowing that righteousness, which before they had only pursued; and, as having so found Jehovah, that his law is written in their heart. Each distich has an ascent within itself; the second line rising above the first : each distich, also, is the commencement of an appropriate address ; 1. to aspirants after true religion ; 2. to persons admitted within its sphere ; and 3. to those who have made good proficiency in holiness and virtue. A further nicety is observable : to the first class, the invitation is simply " Hearken unto me ;" it is not again repeated ; probably, because such repetition was needless ; the people are described as " seeking Jehovah ;" and, when Jehovah himself was pleased to invite them to hear, their earnest expectation would, at the very first call, secure, on their part, a promptness of attention : to the third class, in like manner, but one invitation is given ; for God's law is in their heart ; and the religious affection of this class, would ensure attention yet more infallibly, than the religious excitement of the former : but, to the middle class, the invitation is earnestly repeated ; hearken unto me : give ear unto me : for their very advance in religion might render them comparatively inattentive: they had proceeded so far as to lose the perturbed anxiety of the first class ; they had not proceeded far enough to attain the matured affection of the last ; and, precisely in
48 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
such a state, it would be most necessary to stimulate attention and keep it alert, by a reiterated call, accompanied with a two- fold memento of this re lation to HIM who called them : hearken unto ME ; give ear unto ME : MY people ; MY nation.
Bishop Lowth, it should be stated, reads, and renders, the fourth verse otherwise ; following the Bodley MS. and a few others, of inferior value :
Attend unto me, O ye peoples ; And give ear unto me, O ye nations.
" The difference," his Lordship observes, " is " very considerable : for, in this case, the address is " made, not to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, as " in all reason, it ought to be ; for this, and the two " following verses express the call of the Gentiles, " the islands, or the distant lands, on the coasts of " the Mediterranean and other seas." The change however, (though supportedbythe Syr. Vers.J seems to be at once needless, and injurious : injurious, because it would make an ungraceful and violent transition, destructive of the unity of the passage ; and needless, because, in several other instances, the calling of the Gentiles is announced to the Jews, as a future blessing in which they themselves are deeply interested : how deeply we learn from St. Paul, Rom. xi. 24. 26. As the received text stands, there appears a beautiful gradation : 1. In- cipients in religion are encouraged by the comforts of the Gospel : 2. To those more advanced in re ligion, and consequently better able to look beyond
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 49
their own individual well-being, the calling of the Gentiles is foretold : 3. To those who are rooted and grounded in love, the final conflict and victory of the Messiah, with the consequent happiness and glory of his universal Church, are described in the most glowing terms.
It is to be noted, that neither Dathe nor Rosen- muller has adopted Bishop Lowth's alteration of the text.
NOTES ON SECTION III.
( I ) Bishop Lo'wth^s definition of the synonymous parallel- ism.'] That given in the " Praelectiones," is perhaps less exceptionable, though far from exact : it comprises within itself, its own limitation. " Primam constituent speciem " parallela synonyma ; cum, proposita quacunque senten- " tia, eadem denuo exprimitur aliis verbis, idem FERE 66 significantibus." Prael. xix. p. 208. " The first spe- " cies is the synonymous parallelism, when the same sen- " timent is repeated, in different, but [nearly] equivalent " terms." Dr. Gregory's Translat. vol. ii. p. 35. An important word, omitted by the translator, is here sup plied : how came Dr. G. to suppress the FERE of his original? Was it from a mistaken notion of, by that means, conforming to the language of the " Preliminary Dissertation ? " It should not be overlooked, that Bishop Lowth, in his fourth Preelection, throws out a hint, which he never afterward follows up : and which, if pro perly followed up, must have led to the discovery of an ascending scale in this class of parallelisms : " Idem ite- " rant, variant, AUGENT." Page 50. " They repeat, they
E
50 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
" vary, they AMPLIFY the same sentiment." Greg. Transl. vol. i. p. 1 00.
(2) Archbishop Newcome, in his Preface to Ezekiel.~\ The following are his Grace's words : p. 39, 40. " From the " various examples of ornament and elegance which might " be produced, I shall select a very few; and those of that " particular class, where the following clauses so diversify " the preceding ones, as to rise above them :
" To bring him that is bound out of the dungeon ;
" And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
Isaiah, xlii. 7.
" Who maketh a way in the sea ; " And a path in the mighty waters.
Isaiah, xliii. 16. " Jehovah is a great God ; " And a great king above all gods*
Psalm xcv. 2.
" O Jehovah my God, thou art very great ;
" Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Psalm civ. 1."
The Archbishop adds other examples ; which, indeed, though true and fair specimens of gradation, are by no means the most striking that might have been selected; but all of which, together with those here extracted, Bishop Lowth would inevitably have classed among syno nymous parallelisms.
(3) No idle disquisition about voords.~] The sense of words, however, is not to be trifled with. And I am sorry to be under the necessity of remarking, that the doctrine of SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM has exercised an influence very far from favourable, on the modern lexicography of Scripture. The assumed synonyme of periods, members, or lines, has, in many instances, occasioned the consequent assumption, that, in the Alexandrine translators of the Old
SECT. III.] SACRED LITERATURE. 51
Testament, and Alexandrine translators or authors of the Apocrypha, words are synonymous, which, in all other writers, have totally diverse meanings. The same principle has been applied to several words and passages in the New Testament ; and if it proceed to be thus applied, this will be one reason, in addition to many others, for serious apprehension, that, from those philological works which students are more and more taught to respect, as guides to the critical knowledge of Scripture, much confusion, much obscurity, repeated contradictions, and a fatal habit of explaining away the most pregnant truths of Christianity, may be superinduced upon, or rather substituted for, our manly, sound, and unsophisticated English theology. This is not a place for protracted philological discussion. But I would earnestly exhort those biblical students, who may happen to use (as, with, proper caution, all advanced students will find it their advantage to use) the Lexicons of Spohn and Schleusner for the New Testament, and those of Schleusner and Bretschneider, for the Septuagint and Apocrypha *, to be particularly on their guard against alleged identity of meaning, in words whose ordinary acceptation is any thing but synonymous. In such cases, let the cited passages be carefully examined ; and I venture to affirm, that, instead of synonyme, there will almost universally be found an important variation of meaning, between the related members : commonly a progress in the sense; but always such a variation, as will quite supersede the necessity of resorting to an unusual, much less an unprecedented, acceptation of the terms employed. I had selected many examples of erroneous, and, as I think, dangerous interpretation, from Schleusner and Bretschneider ; but a necessary attention to brevity, espe cially on a subject, in this work, but collateral and incidental, has determined me to suppress them.
* With the particular error, against which I here thought it my duty to protest, I do not think Biel chargeable.
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52 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. III.
It is with no invidious, or controversial purpose, or feel ing, that I have given this caution. I am simply zealous to maintain the truth and purity of Scripture ; to promote, so far as in me lies, the acceptance of scripture language in its just and proper meaning; and to protest against all novelties of interpretation, which may tend, in any degree, to render that language vague, uncertain, unsettled, and indiscriminative.
53
SECTION IV.
IT is the object of the present section to pro duce, and sometimes to observe upon, certain varieties in the poetical parallelism, unnoticed as such by Bishop Lowth, or by subsequent writers on the subject.
There are stanzas so constructed, that, whatever be the number of lines, the first line shall be paral lel with the last ; the second with the penultimate ; and so throughout, in an order that looks inward, or, to borrow a military phrase, from flanks to centre. This may be called the introverted paral lelism : —
My son, if thine heart be wise ;
My heart also shall rejoice ;
Yea, my reins shall rejoice ; When thy lips speak right things.
Prov. xxiii. 15, 16.
Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest
in the heavens ; Behold, as the eyes of servants to the hands of their
masters ; As the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress :
Even so look our eyes to Jehovah our God, until he
have mercy upon us.
Psalm cxxiii. 1, 2.
E 3
54 BACKED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
From the hand of hell I will redeem them ;
From death I will reclaim them :
Death ! I will be thy pestilence ; Hell ! I will be thy burning plague.
Hosea, xiii. 14. See BISHOP HORSLEY.
And I saw as the colour of electrum ;
As the appearance of fire round about within it : From the appearance of the loins even upward ; And from the uppearance of the loins even down- I saw as the appearance of fire ; [ward :
And it had brightness round about.
Ezekiel, i. 27.
And it shall come to pass in that day ;
Jehovah shall make a gathering of his fruit :
From the flood of the river ; [scil. Euphrates.] To the stream of Egypt : And ye shall be gleaned up, one by one ; O ye sons of Israel.
And it shall come to pass in that day ; The great trumpet shall be sounded :
And those shall come, who were perishing in the
land of Assyria ;
And who were dispersed in the land of Egypt; And they shall bow themselves down before Jehovah ; In the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.
Isaiah, xxvii. 12, 13.
In these two stanzas of Isaiah, figuratively in the first, and literally in the second, is predicted the return of the Jews from their several dis persions. The first line of each stanza is parallel with the sixth; the second with the fifth; and the third with the fourth : also, on comparing the stanzas one with another, it is manifest, that
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 55
they are constructed with the utmost precision of mutual correspondence ; clause harmonising with clause, and line respectively with line: the first line of the first stanza with the first line of the second, and so throughout. It is extraordinary that the peculiarity of construction in this passage should have escaped the penetration of Bishop Lowth : in the first stanza, his distribution of the clauses into lines is subversive of the order mani festly designed by the prophet ; yet, so indestruc tible is that order, that it is here exhibited in the precise language of the Bishop's own version, without the translocation of a single word. The stanzas are merely separated ; the lines properly dis tributed, and the parallelisms distinctly marked. (1) A difficult passage in the Psalms may, perhaps, derive some partial elucidation from a simple re duction to this form of stanza : —
Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee : The passengers in whose heart are the ways ; In the valley of Baca make it a spring, The rain also filleth the pools ; They go from strength to strength ; He shall appear before God in Zion.
Psalm Ixxxiv. 5 — 7.
The first and sixth lines are here considered, at once, as constructively parallel, and as affording a continuous sense (see the Obs. on Deut. xxxii. 42. in Sect. II. p. 29.) : the intermediate four lines may be accounted parenthetical ; the second, construc tively parallel with the fifth j and the third with
56 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
the fourth. The first line seems to contain the character of a confirmed proficient in religion, — his strength is in God ; the sixth line, to describe his final beatification, — he shall appear before God in Zion. The intermediate quatrain may be re garded as descriptive of the intermediate course pursued by those who desire to be good and happy : they are passengers ; but they know their destination, and they long for it ; at a distance from the temple, (the mystical " sapientum templa serena,") they are anxious to arrive there ; the very highways to Jerusalem are in their heart. And what is the consequence ? Affection smooths all difficulties : the parched and sandy desert be comes a rich well-watered valley; and they cheer fully advance from strength to strength ; from one degree of virtuous proficiency to another.
Whether the above distribution throws any light on the passage, it is for others to determine : com mentators have been so perplexed by it, that even a total failure cannot be attended with disgrace ; while partial success may be serviceable to those who shall come after. On one clause, the com mentary of Euthymius is so beautiful, that I can not help inserting it: ex fompws et$ Suvs^v e£
ei$ apsTW oiov ex. Tot7reivo<ppOG'UVYi$ ei$ -nrsvSos* ex Ss xon WTO); ex TUVTY)$ ei$ exeivyv
rpo$ ryv axpctipeuriv.
005 KTxupo'&oioiKroiv TOV psTiovTo. «tmjv. " From strength " to strength ; from virtue to virtue : for ex- " ample, from lowliness of mind to mourning;
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 5?
" from mourning to contrition ; and thus, ad- " vancing from one attainment to another, they " shall ascend the summit of the mountain. The « psalmist calls virtue strength, because it makes " him strong who attains it." Perhaps each gra dation of goodness may be accounted, as it were, a fortress or strong-hold upon the way : a secure stage in the pilgrimage of virtue.
One more example of the same kind :
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold : The work of men's hand ;
They have mouths, but they speak not ; They have eyes, but they see not ; They have ears, but they hear not ; Neither is there any breath in their mouths : They who make them, are like unto them : So are all they who put their trust in them.
Psalm cxxxv. 15 — 18.
The parallelisms here marked out, will, it is pre sumed, be found accurate : In the first line, we have the idolatrous heathen ; In the eighth, those who put their trust in idols : In the second line, the fabrication ; In the seventh, the fabricators : In the third line, mouths without articulation ; In the sixth, mouths without breath : In the fourth line, eyes without vision ; And, in the fifth line, ears without the sense of hearing.
The parallelism of the extreme members, may
58 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
be rendered yet more evident, by reducing the passage into two quatrains; thus :
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold ;
The work of men's hand :
They who make them, are like unto them ; So are all they who put their trust in them.
They have mouths, but they speak not ;
They have eyes, but they see not ;
They have ears, but they hear not ; Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
The construction of the original passage, though artificial, is easy : the parallelism, though involved, is unembarrassed : and, perhaps, it may be no un reasonable conjecture, that this, and similar in stances of obvious though extended parallelism, may have been provided, among other purposes, as so many moulds and forms, by means of which, shape and consistency may hereafter be given to passages, at present, if not wholly unintelligible, at least " hard to be understood." We have seen (Sect. II.) that, in some four-lined stanzas, the sense is not directly, but alternately continuous : some thing not dissimilar, may be analogically expected, in stanzas of eight lines or of ten ; and in the introverted, no less than the alternate stanza : the first line and the tenth, for example, of some hitherto obscure passage, may, very possibly, be not only parallel in construction, but consecutive in sense ; in like manner, the second line, with the ninth ; and so, throughout, in the introverted order. This, indeed, is at present no more than
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 59
an hypothetical case ; but the bare possibility of its real existence may serve to show, that these technical niceties are by no means unimportant. I wish not to recommend theory, but experiment. And, in this view, that student cannot surely be ill employed, who tries to gain a familiarity with Hebraic stanzas of all descriptions ; and to acquire a well-regulated habit of analysing their com ponent members. At the very least, experiments of this kind, if not immediately profitable, towards the interpretation of Scripture, and the establish ment of sound doctrine, may lay the foundation of future profit, to a large extent: they seem pre cisely to come within the description of those ex periments, which Lord Bacon calls experiment a lucifera (2), as contradistinguished from experi- menta fructifera ; and which, in his own re searches, he prized and pursued above all others. Meantime, obscurities in abundance remain in the Sacred Volume ; most of all, perhaps, in the books most susceptible of involved versicular arrange ment, — the writings of the prophets : and it were presumptuous to conjecture, but more presump tuous to limit, the possibilities of future discovery in the much-frequented, but entangled walks of prophetic interpretation, by those who shall bring along with them prudence, penetration, persever ance, but, above all, a properly chastised imagin ation, to the study of Hebraic parallelism.
There is, in Hebrew poetry, an artifice of con struction much akin to the introverted parallelism,
60
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
which I will endeavour to describe. Distichs, it is well known, were usually constructed with a view to alternate recitation, or chanting, by the oppo site divisions of the choir, in Jewish worship; and, when one line of the couplet closed with an im portant word or sentiment, it was often so con trived, that the antiphonal line of the couplet should commence with a word or sentiment pre cisely parallel : a practice obviously in the order of nature ; for, if you present any object to a mirror, tha4: part of it which is most distant from you will appear nearest in the reflected image. This arti fice, however, was by no means capriciously em ployed, or for the sake of mere ornament. Its rationale may be thus explained : two pair of terms, or propositions, conveying two important, but not equally important notions, are to be so distributed, as to bring out the sense in the strongest and most impressive manner : now, this result will be best attained, by commencing, and concluding, with the notions to which prominence is to be given ; and by placing in the centre the less im portant notion, or that which, from the scope of the argument, is to be kept subordinate ; an ar rangement, not only accordant with the genius of Hebrew poetry, and with the practice of alternate recitation, but sanctioned, also, by the best rules of criticism : — for, an able rhetorician recommends, that we should reserve for the last, the most em phatic member of a sentence; and for this rea son, that, if placed in the middle, it must lose
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 61
its energy : — TTOJ^TJXOV $s SSJVOTVJTO; sfi xoti TO STTI
Tt^svai TOV SeivoTarov 7TEg<Aaja£avojU,=vov ya^ sv /xeo"co otp
Demetr. Phaler. wsgi lgpjve/«$. 261. But Nestor's disposition of his forces (applied by Quintilian, lib. v. cap. 12., to the illustration of a kindred subject) is still more in point :
8'
A. 296—298.
Chariots and horse, he stationed in the front ; His numerous infantry, a strong reserve Right valiant in the rear ; the worst, and those In whom he trusted least, he drove between.
Cowpcr.
But my meaning will be made clearer by an example. In the hundred and seventh Psalm (3), the wish is earnestly and repeatedly expressed, that the sub jects of Jehovah's goodness would praise him for that goodness, and for his wonderful interpositions on behalf of mankind. Special motives to call forth suitable expressions of gratitude are urged; particu larly in the ninth and sixteenth verses ; which verses are both constructed in the manner just described :
For he hath satisfied the craving soul ; (4?) And the famished soul, he hath filled with goodness,
Verse 9.
Here are two pairs of terms, conveying the two notions, of complete destitution by famine,] — and of equally complete relief, administered by the divine
62 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
bounty. The notion of relief, as best fitted to ex- cite gratitude, was obviously that, to which pro- minence was to be given ; and this, accordingly, was effected by placing it Jirst and last: the idea of destitution, on the contrary, as a painful one, and not in unison with the hilarity of grateful adoration, had the central, that is, the less import ant place assigned it ; while, even there, the rapid succession and duplication of the craving soul, and the famished soul, by marking the extremity of past affliction, but heightens the enjoyment of the glad conclusion — he hath Jilled with goodness ! And thus, the worst, and the least trust-worthy, of the troops of Nestor, are compelled to fight : and the victory is signal and complete.
Let us now change the arrangement of the couplet : let us suppose it to have been written : ?
For the craving soul he hath satisfied ;
And hath filled with goodness the famished soul :
and is it not manifest, not merely that the beauty of the passage would have been destroyed, but that the very object of the Psalmist would have been defeated ? The sense of relief would have been marred and incomplete. The notion of famine, meeting us at the commencement, and haunting us at the close, must have checked the genial flow of grateful feeling. The weakest forces stationed in the front and rear, and the heroes pressed and pent up between them, what could ensue but discomfiture and downfal ?
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 63
Again :
For he hath destroyed the gates of brass ; And the bars of iron he hath smitten asunder :
Verse 16.
To this couplet the reader may, for himself, apply a similar plan of criticism : and, having done so, he will feel abundantly convinced, that not only a great poetical, but a great moral loss, would be sustained, were we to invert the order, and read :
For the gates of brass he hath destroyed ; And hath smitten asunder the bars of iron :
By such a commencement and conclusion, the soul would be imprisoned : but it is only with " a free spirit," that we can duly celebrate the praises of Almighty God.
The excellencies of the original, thus faintly but faithfully exhibited, are nearly lost in our two authorised versions ; and, indeed, in almost every modern translation. The Septuagint and Vulgate have retained the order, but, in some respects, weakened the force, of the original words 5 the former reads :
on s^ogroio-s vxyv xevyv xon TTsivcua-av sve7rA>j<7ej/ OTI xcti
The latter :
Quia satiavit animam inanem ; Et animam esurientem satiavit bonis Quia contrivit portes aereas ; Et vectes ferreos confregit.
64- SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
Bishop Horsley, too, has preserved the order, but, in the first two lines, has departed from the simplicity, of the original ; in the third line, the word shivered, is eminently happy ; it presents a picture of the thing :
For he hath fed to the full the longing soul ;
The soul famished with hunger he hath filled with good :
For he hath shivered the gates of brass ;
And the bars of iron he hath cut asunder.
Dathe has reversed the order in the first line of each couplet ; and, in so doing, has much dimi nished the impression :
Nam sitientibus explevit sitim ; Atque esurientes abunde satiavit: Quod fores sereas effregerit ; Et claustra ferrea avulserit.
The interlineary version of Arias Montanus, perhaps, does the greatest justice : a version, which, notwith standing its barbarous latinity, is often inexpressi bly felicitous; merely because it is literal, and because it scrupulously preserves the original order of the words: (5)
Quia saturare fecit animam cupidam ; Et animam famelicam satiavit bonis : Quia contrivit portas sereas ; Et vectes ferreas concidit.
Under this head, one other example will suffice : it is a noble burst of moral indignation :
Woe unto them who call evil good, and good evil ; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
Isaiah, v. 20.
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 65
The reader cannot fail to observe, that, in this triplet, evil, darkness, and bitterness, are so disposed as to retain throughout, their " bad pre-emi
nence."
The figure of speech, for such it may be called, the grounds and reasons of which I have here attempted to explain, has not been unnoticed by commentators and critics (6) ; several, indeed, have observed the phenomenon ; but not one, that I am aware of, has hitherto explored the rationale of it. Some are disposed to maintain that it is purely classical ; and it does sometimes occur in Greek and Latin authors (7) ; but it is so prevalent, and so peculiarly marked, in the Sacred Volume, that it may be justly accounted a Hebraism ; and, as I am disposed to believe, a feature of Hebrew poetry. Rhetoricians have given it various names ; for example, vs-^a-^, chiasmus, synchysis, epanodos : the last is its most frequent appellation. That, which I have ventured to call the introverted paral lelism, is a species of epanodos ; and, in every in stance of it, the reasons may be clearly shown, why this order has been chosen. On this subject, more will be said, when I shall have proceeded some way in the examination of parallelisms occurring in the New Testament : meantime, the next section must unavoidably be devoted to further preliminary matter.
60 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
NOTES ON SECTION IV.
(1) The parallelisms distinctly marked. ~] Competent judges have, with good reason, accounted this technical dis tribution ^of no slight importance. The following are the words of the late Archbishop Newcome : " In the best " editions of the Bible, the poetical parts should be divided " into lines answering to the metre of the original. The " common editions would be made too expensive by such a " distribution, which would occupy a large space : but this " inconvenience may be avoided, by placing each hemistich " within inverted commas ; or by any other proper mark " of distinction for the pause. Dr. Kennicott's words on " this subject are : Si universa in bibliis Hebrseis carmina, " more poetico, lineis brevibus, et plerumque fere sequali- " bus (saltern ubi non fuerint corruptaB) nunc demum im- " primerentur, mirum quantum elucesceret statim sacrae 66 poetae mens ; idque in mille locis, ubi, sub usitata prosse " forma, difficillimum est ullam, saltern veram, expiscari " sententiam. Prsef. ad Vet. Test. Hebr. § 20."
Abp. NEWCOME, Min. Proph. pref. p. xxxviii.
In addition to this doubly-sanctioned recommendation, it may be observed, that, where the parallelisms are either alternate, or introversive, or in any manner separated by the intervention of other lines, the stanzas or paragraphs should be so ranged, as, by typographical indentures, to make the parallelism of line with line, however remote from each other, at once apparent to the eye. Thus (and I speak from experience) the reader may be enabled to dis cover at a glance, niceties both of structure, and of mean ing, which, in the ordinary mode of printing, might pass unnoticed, after frequent, and even close perusal. In the
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 6j
above passage of Isaiah, and throughout the present work, I have been attentive to this distinctness of exhibition.
(2) Experimenta lucifera.'] " Turn vero de scientiarum " ulteriore progressu spes bene fundabitur, quum in histo- " riam naturalem recipientur, et aggregabuntur, complura " experimenta, quae in se nullius sunt usus, sed ad inven- " tionem causarum et axiomatum tantum faciunt ; quae nos " lucifera experimenta, ad differentiam fructiferorum^ ap- " pellare consuevimus. Ilia autem miram habent in se " virtutem et conditionem ; hanc videlicet, quod nunquam " fallant aut frustrentur." Nov. Org. I. xcix.
66 Plurima in historia nostra, captui vulgari, aut etiam " cuivis intellectui rebus praesentibus assuefactae, videbuntur " curiosae cujusdam et inutilis subtilitatis. Itaque de hoc " ante omnia et dictum et dicendum est. Hoc scilicet ; " nos, jam sub initiis, et ad tempus, tantum lucifera expe- " rimenta, uonfructifera quaerere; ad exemplum creationis " divinae, quod saepius diximus, quae primo die lucem tan- " turn produxit, eique soli unum integrum diem attribuit, " neque illo die quicquam materiati operis immiscuit.
" Itaque, si quis istiusmodi res nullius esse usus putet, " idem cogitat, ac si nullum etiam lucis esse usum censeat " quia res scilicet solida aut materiata non sit. Atque " revera dicendum est, simplicium naturarum cognitionem " bene examinatam et definitam instar lucis esse ; quae ad " universa operum penetralia aditum praebet ; atque tota " agmina operum et turmas, et axiomatum nobilissimorum " fontes, potestate quadam complectitur, et post se trahit ; " in se tamen non ita magni usus est. Quin et literarum " elementa per se et separatim nihil significant nee alicujus " usus sunt; sed tamen ad omnis sermonis compositionem " et apparatum instar materiae primas sunt." — Ibid. I. cxxi.
(3) The hundred-and-seventh psalm.~] The substance of some of the following remarks I have ventured to reclaim, recast, and> I hope, also to improve, from notes annexed
F 2
68 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
to a new translation of this psalm, which appeared in the volume for 181 0, of the Christian Observer. That transla tion, it is but fair to add, was neither prepared, nor intended, for the press: it was sent for insertion to the respectable journal just mentioned, without my knowledge, from the partial estimate of a clerical and classical friend near London.
(4) For he Jiath satisfied the craving soul.~] That is, the thirsty soul. In the fifth verse, where a state of suffering was to be exclusively and strongly expressed, thirst, as implying the more violent torture, was placed emphatically at the close of the line, hunger having preceded it : here, where relief is the grand feature, the former order is reversed : that sensation which was the most grievous, was naturally the most craving; therefore, first the thirsty soul, then the hungry soul, is satisfied. Plutarch, in his Symposiacs, (Book vi. quest. 1.) makes inquiry, "why famished per- " sons are more affected with thirst, than with hunger ? " and Virgil has been praised by one of his commentators, for the scientific accuracy with which he makes thirsty not hunger, the craving appetite of the ravening wolf:
Lupi ceu
Raptores atra in nebula, quos improba ventris Exegit coacos rabies, catulique relict! Faucibus exspectant siccis.
ii. 355.
(5) The original order of the words.] On the advantage which, in the collocation of words, Hebrew poetry enjoys above the poetry of the classics, somewhat has already been said, in sect. I. note 9. In the present section, some examples have been given of happy verbal distribution: it may not be out of place here, to notice an opposite blemish, in one of the finest classical descriptions ; a blemish manifestly occasioned by the predominance of sound over sense, in classical versification : —
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 69
Permitte divis caetera : qui simul Stravere ventos sequore fervido Depraeliantes, nee cupressi, Nee veteres agitantur orni.
HOR. lib 1. Od. ix. 9,
To do full justice to this noble thought, the effect should have instantaneously followed the cause ; the winds once laid, every word should have breathed a calm : as it is, after the tempest has been put down, we have the winds still warring with the fervid ocean ; and while this elemental conflict is raging, we are told by the poet, that not even the sensitive mountain-ash is agitated. Had prosody per mitted, the following would have been the proper order of the words : " qui ventos aequore fervido depraeliantes, simul " stravere, nee cupressi, nee veteres agitantur orni." In strictly metrical composition, faults of this kind repeatedly occur; while, perhaps, in the whole range of Hebrew poetry, not one such instance can be found : such, on the one hand, are the advantages of an unfettered distribution of words ; such, on the other hand, is the rigid enthral-? ment of metrical jurisprudence. It is probable, that the ancients erred in this manner, both against their judge ment, and against their will. No man, for example, was better acquainted, or better pleased, than Horace, with the force and beauty of a well-chosen word, placed to the best advantage. I never can read the following passage, without being deeply affected with the last word of it : so placed, it is one of the finest examples extant of the ** Changed his hand, and checked his pride:"
Nee quidquam tibi prpdest Aerias tentasse domos, animoque rotundum Percurrisse polum, — MORITURO !
HOR. lib. i. Od. xxviii. 4.
(6) The epanodos noted by commentators and critics.'] On this subject, I gladly acknowledge considerable obligations
F 3
70 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
to Dr. Hammond on St. Matt. vii. 6. ; also to several valu able remarks dispersed through the Gnomon of Bengel, an elegant critic, always ingenious, generally instructive ; and, if occasionally fanciful, not likely to mislead a careful reader: for, by his close analysis of the context, he com monly affords a clue for the detection of his own errors. In the minutice of the Greek language, he does not appear to have been skilled ; and, accordingly, in this department he now and then hazards a remark, at which the good- natured scholar will smile, and quietly pass on. But no writer has more successfully, and with greater freedom from all parade of words, exhibited the less obvious niceties and beauties of Scripture, than the learned Bengel ; and none has more invariably made the attainments of the critic and philologist ancillary to pure and elevated piety. Of late years, his Gnomon has been rising in public estimation ; and, if I mistake not, it will rise yet higher. A work of a very different, and far inferior order, though not without classical merit, has afforded some coin cidences^ rather than hints, on the subject of epanodos. See Mr. Gilbert Wakefield's New Translation of S. Mat thew ; especially his remarks on ch. vii. 6.
(7) T7ie epanodos sometimes occurs in classical author s.~\ By way of additional illustration, a few classical examples may be given : —
gvSaS1 a/^ oi/xcoyy] re, KCX.I syp^&oAyj, TreAev otvfigcav oAAt/VTwv re, xai oAAt^svaw.
HOM. Iliad, A. 450.
It was manifestly the poet's design to make and to leave a melancholy impression : he begins, therefore, with wailing or groans, and ends with the dying ; placing less conspi cuously, in the centre, the exulting shouts of the victors : the force of o/jacoyvj at the commencement, and oAAuftsv«;j/ at the close, is certainly inimitable in our rhyming couplet :
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 71
but Mr. Pope seems to have been quite unaware of it ; he inverts the order, both of the lines and of the terms :
Victors and vanquished join promiscuous cries ; And shrilling shouts, and dying groans arise.
The epanodos might, in some degree, have been preserved, by transposing the words victors and vanquished.
TOV TTsgi Mou<r' £spjArj<T£, Si&ou S' ayaSov Tf, xaxov T§, o<p^aAja«JV jxev aju-egcre, SiSou 8* rj§e»av aojSyjv.
HOM. Odyss. 0. 63.
In celebrating the affection of the muse for Demodocus, Homer properly begins arid closes with her bounties; ayaSov — >jSsjav ao»S»jv : her less enviable gifts, the result of studious application, KOLKQV — o<p3aAju,«;v ap.ef><re9 are placed in the centre. Though too paraphrastic, Dr. Broome's translation tolerably preserves the epanodos: he wasa a riper scholar than his more poetical employer :
Dear to the muse ! who gave his years to flow, With mighty blessings, mixed with mighty woe ; With clouds of darkness quenched his visual ray ; But gave him skill to raise the lofty lay.
Theognis delivers a prudential maxim, opposed to the morality both of the law and of the gospel. See Eccles. xi. 1. S. Luke, vi. 34-, 35. He delivers it in an epanodos, placing his dogma first and last; his illustration of it in the centre; and thus giving his conclusion the entire force, such as it is, of the preceding illustration : the mo rality is detestable, but the composition skilful :
icrov H«t <7neigsw TTOVTOV ours yag cuv TTOVTOV O-TTSJ^COV /3a3y A»]Vov OUTS xaxouf ev Sgcov, sy TraAiv
. lin. 105. F 4
72 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
Who benefits the base, is kind in vain : Go, cast thy seed upon the hoary deep ; From seed there sown, small harvest wilt thou reap :
Give to the bad, and nought wilt thou receive again.
Hesiod, on the contrary, in accordance with the law and the gospel, is desirous to impress the comfortable truth, that God is very specially the guardian of the poor and undistinguished ; this he does in two fine epanodoses ; giving in each of them the most distinguished place, the first and the last, to those whom the world commonly dis regards ; to the nameless and uncelebrated ; to the humble, whom God exalts; and to the obscure whom God beholds with the light of his countenance : while the men of rank and reputation, the applauded and renowned, are consigned, in the verses of the old Ascraean, to the obscurity of the middle station. The similarity is striking between this passage, and the song of Hannah, as well as the hymn of the Blessed Virgin :
j-^ev «oiS>jcn x
Ai' evvsTTSTSy <7<psTegov vraTEg v[j,V£iov<rotif OVTS Sia, Pgoroi avtigsg 6//,co£ a^aro* rs QOITOI re, faTOi T ctpfaroi TS, Aio; [jt,sya\oio exrjrr psict psv yag figiaeiy psa 8s figiotovra ^a xai aSvjAov aeje
Pierian Muses, ever-tuneful choir,
Chant grateful hymns to Jove, your bounteous sire :
Our lot as mortals, nameless or of name,
Much praised or praiseless, by Jove's mandate came ;
With ease he lifts the low, the haughty bends ;
The lofty levels, and the poor befriends.
Our own Spenser has an epanodos, in which promi nence is given, not to the elevation of the lowly, but to the depression of the exalted^ and the impoverishment of the wealthy :
SECT. IV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 7#
He pulleth downe : he setteth up on hy ; He gives to this, from that he takes away.
Faerie Queene, B. v. Cant.ii. st. 41.
By the same figure, the stern Juvenal, after his man ner, gives prominence to the hateful, rather than to the ludicrous ; to the colossal vices, than to the pigmy port and presence, of his contemporaries :
Terra malos homines nunc educat, atque pusillos, Ergo Deus quicunque aspexit, ridet et odit.
Sat. xv. 70.
A WICKED brood earth now brings forth, and Which every God who sees, derides and HATES.
Malos, pusillos; ridet, odit; pusillos ridet; odit malos: derides the weak; hates 'the wicked.
Nor is this artifice unobservable, even in prose writers ; for example : B<ov s%ST£X£<7£V evareSoov KOH SixotiOTrgoiywv, 7rgo$ TS oLvtycDirovs xoii Ssouj. Diod. Sicul. p. 32. " He closed life " with acts of piety and justice, towards both men and " Gods." Piety towards the Gods; justice towards men: piety is placed first, the Gods are placed last, from a sense of religious decorum. " Ad hoc, quos manus atque " lingua, perjurio et sanguine civili, alebat." Sail, de Bell. Catal. c. xiv. Manus, sanguine civili ; lingua, perjurio. To the murder of fellow-citizens, as to the more atrocious crime, the historian gives prominence. These last two passages, have been cited by Miinthe ; Observ. Philol. on S. Matt. vii. 6. and Philem. 5. A fine example of this construction is afforded by Lucian, while citing, amplify ing, and illustrating, the memorable and great-hearted saying of Thucydides :
TS yap <p>]<n ju,«XAov e$ cast <rvyygot<peiVy Y)7reg EC TO Ttagov xai ju,>3 TO jau-S'cuS T»]V aAyjdsiav TMV
nw$ $si l$-og. crvyyg, C.
74 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IV.
For he declares, that he is rather composing a possession for eternity ;
than an ostentatious declamation for the present ;
that he is not embracing the fabulous ; but bequeathing to posterity the truth of past events.
Bos, in his " Animadv. Critic." observes, that Lucian here elegantly explains the aycovj<r//,a, by TO pvdootiss, and the xrrj^a, by T>JV aAijSeiav. See Hemsterhus. Luc. vol. ii. p. 55. Eternity and truth are first and last.
This figure, however, as might naturally be expected, prevails most in poetry : and indeed Hesiod tells us, that the Muses were fond of it ; taking special care to assign to themselves the commencement and the close, and, not very respectfully, relegating to the centre the rest of the im mortals :
vpvsiv poixagwv ysvo$ ctiev SOVTOOV,
TTgOOTOV T£ XOtl UfSgOV KIEV CtotisiV'
Qsoyov 33.
I shall close this long note with a slight, but not unin teresting particular: in the customary form of Arabian salutation there is a beautiful epanodos : " When the " Arabs .salute one another, it is generally in these terms, 66 Saldm aleikum, Peace be with you : in speaking these " words, they lay the right hand on the heart. The an- " swer is, Aleikum essaldm, With you be peace." Niebuhr. quoted by Dr. Harmer. Obs. vol. ii. p. 328. ed. 1808. PEACE begins the salutation ; and it ends with PEACE. *
* Since the publication of " Sacred Literature," this pecu liarity of composition has been largely and happily illustrated, in his " Tactica Sacra," by the Rev. Thomas Boys.
SECTION V.
THE poetical or sententious parallelism, some varieties of which have been exemplified in the preceding sections, is variously distributed through the writings of the Old Testament : sometimes it is continuous and unmixed ; as in the Psalms, Proverbs, and Canticles : sometimes it charac terises the main body of a work, with a prosaic introduction and conclusion ; as in the book of Job : sometimes it predominates throughout a whole book, with occasional intermixture of nar rative in prose; as in most of the prophets (1): and sometimes, on the contrary, it forms the ex ception ; the general texture of the composition being unquestionable prose ; as in the historical books, and, we may add, the book of Ecclesias- tes. (2) Again, it is to be observed, that, with the exception of a few partial failures, the charac ter and complexion of Hebrew poetry have been very competently preserved in that body of Greek translations, composed at different times, by dif ferent persons, and known under the name of the Septuagint Version. Nor should it be omitted, that the Hebraic parallelism occurs also, with much variety, in the Apocrypha (3) : the book of Ecclesiasticus, for example, is composed of pure parallelisms : the Book of Wisdom, too, affords fine specimens of this manner, though it is com-
76 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
monly overlaid by the exuberant and vicious rhetoric of the Alexandrine Platonists ; while, not to mention other parts of the Apocryphal writings, in Tobit and the books of Maccabees there are examples both of lyric and didactic poetry, clothed in parallelisms which will hardly shrink from com parison with several in the genuine Hebrew Scrip tures. One other fact remains : namely, that, in the sententious formula? of the Rabbinical writers, the manner of Hebrew poetry is frequently ob served, with much accuracy, though with a mani fest declension of spirit. (4)
The above circumstances appear worthy of con sideration : and, if attentively considered, they may, probably, both suggest, and authorise, a few anticipations respecting the style of the New Testament. Here we have been examining a mode of composition, applied almost exclusively to sacred subjects ; admitting considerable varie ties ; and, in all those varieties, more or less pre valent throughout the entire Old Testament; a manner, alike perfect in the sublime ode, the tender elegy, and the didactic aphorism ; carefully retained, by the most ancient translators of the Hebrew Scriptures ; happily imitated, by a suc cession of Jewish writers, whose authority is all but sacred ; fondly, though feebly, cherished by those Rabbinical teachers who preceded, and who survived, the destruction of the Jewish polity ; and, what is of considerable importance in our present inquiry, a manner completely naturalised
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 77
in the Greek language, by the Alexandrine ver- sionists ; and even by original Greek writers, in some of the books termed Apocryphal.
Now, the question may be confidently asked, is it in any degree probable, that such a manner should have been abruptly and altogether discarded in the New Testament ? Does not the very suppo sition run counter to all the analogies, afforded by the works of HIM who was the inspirer of both portions of the Sacred Volume ? In the wide ex panse of nature there is no abruptness of transi tion. The forms, indeed, and the colourings, are infinitely various ; but so harmonically blended, and so nicely shaded off, that it is impossible to define, with accuracy, where one begins, and where another ends. And if this be so in God's inani mate works, shall we not much more expect the same keeping, the same congruity amidst variety, throughout his living word? In the latter, we can not suppose that even the style and manner were fortuitous : design pervades the whole matter of both Testaments; and unity is the soul of that design ; but the matter and manner of Scripture are, beyond the matter and manner of any other body of writings, most intimately connected ; so intimately connected, that unity of matter de mands and implies, in this divine book, a corre spondent unity of manner. And, on this ground alone, we may reasonably conclude, that a manner largely prevalent in the Old Testament, cannot be relinquished in the New.
78 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
This question may, however, be regarded in another and a more popular light. Let us only consider, what the New Testament is, and by whom it was written. It is a work suppletory to, and perfective ofj the Old ; composed under the same guidance that superintended the composition of the Old ; written by native Jews, Hebrews of the Hebrews ; by men whose minds had, from infancy, been moulded after the form and fashion of their own sacred writings ; and whose whole stock of literature (except in the case of St. Paul, and probably of St. Luke and St. James) was com prised in those very writings : now, surely, it is improbable in the extreme, that such men, when they came to write such a work, should, without any assignable motive, and in direct opposition to all other religious teachers of their nation, have estranged themselves from a manner so pervading the noblest parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, as the sententious parallelism. Of such an estrangement, no less can be said than this, that it would imply a constraint and pressure upon the natural move ments of minds so disciplined and trained, alto gether inconsistent with that ease, and freedom, and simplicity, which characterise the style of the New Testament, from its commencement to its close. While, with respect to HIM, who spake as never man spake, and who had all varieties of language at his command, it was so much his usage, in every allowable method and degree, to accommodate his manner to the tastes and pre-
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 79
judices of his countrymen, that his departure from it in this instance, would have been, perhaps, a solitary departure: and, leaving out of con sideration for the present, the native and im perishable excellencies of the Hebrew parallel ism (5), it is not easy to imagine a particular, in which our blessed Lord could have more safely become, like his great follower, to the Jews a Jew, than in the adoption of a manner, at once familiar to their understanding, agreeable to their taste, and consecrated, by a thousand associations, with their best and happiest religious feelings.
But this, after all, is no question of probabilities : it must be decided by an experimental appeal to facts ; and facts bearing on the subject are neither difficult to be found, nor hard to be stated. It has been, for many years, my first literary object to search the Scriptures of the New Testament, for facts of the nature alluded to ; for passages, namely, which bear evident marks of intentional conformity to the Hebrew parallelism \ a selection of those passages I have examined with all the at tention in my power ; and the result of my exa mination, I propose to give in the following pages of this work. It remains for me, however, before closing this last of my preliminary sections, to address a few words to the indulgent reader. The subject on which I am about to enter is confes sedly new ; as such, it demands the production of original matter ; and a new method of arranging, exhibiting, and examining, matter which is not
80 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
original. In such an undertaking, it were pre sumptuous to expect exemptions from oversights and errors ; but it is my hope, and it shall be my effort, that no unpardonable oversight, and no gross error, may disgrace these pages : and, if I succeed thus far, I feel confident in the humanity and equity of those who are to pass judgment on my labours, that offences of a lighter nature will not be severely dealt with.
In an inquiry like the present, it cannot be ex pected, that, at this, or indeed at any subsequent stage of it, I am, or can be, largely prepared with authorities corroborative of my leading views : facts, for the most part, are my sole authorities. There is, however, no lack, if I may use the expression, of preparative authorities ; that is, matured opinions of learned and able men, legitimately deduced from facts well ascertained, which, though they do not go the length of asserting, or even intimating, the frequent occurrence of Hebrew parallelism in the New Testament, yet may, and, in my judgment, ought to produce some expectation, that such fre quent occurrence may be proved; and, conse quently, may, and ought to prepare intelligent readers, for the patient, candid, and unprejudiced reception of such proofs of that frequency, as I have been able to collect, and am about to submit for public consideration.
A brief sketch of those preparative authorities is all that I can pretend, or afford, to give in my text ; a few extracts from, and references to, the
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 81
authors from whom they are derived, shall be added in the Notes.
It is certain, then, in the first place, that the New Testament is not written in a purely Greek style (6) ; that there is a marked difference between its manner, and that of the writers called classical; that this difference is by no means confined to single words, or combinations of words, but per vades the whole structure of the composition ; and that, in frequent instances, a poetical manner is observable, which, not only is not known, but would not be tolerated, in any modern production, purporting to be prose. (7) In the next place, it is to be observed, that certain writers have noticed in the New Testament an arrangement of the periods, corresponding with the Hebrew verses; not, indeed, in their opinion, those of Hebrew poetry, but such as are found in the historical books : while other critics and commentators have, in a few instances, detected and described unquestion able specimens of Hebrew parallelism, (which, it will be recollected, is the grand characteristic of Hebrew poetry,) in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke ; and have admitted their occur rence in the Revelation of St. John, (8) Further than this, any writers$ with whose works I am ac quainted, have not gone. It remains to be in quired, with due caution indeed, but, at the same time, with proper freedom and independence of mind, whether facts do not warrant us to go con siderably further.
G
82 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
I will only express my hope, that, in several of those examples from the New Testament, which I. am about to produce, an identity of manner with the Old Testament poetry will be discoverable at the first glance ; and, while I admit, that, in other examples, a closer scrutiny may be demanded, I must mention, once for all, that if) in any particular case, the resemblance may riot appear to be satis factorily made out, that example may be dismissed from the reader's mind, without any prejudice to the general argument.
NOTES TO SECTION V.
(1) The prophetical poetry of the Hebrews.*] It has been observed by Bishop Lowth, in his nineteenth Preelection, that sometimes the nature of the parallelism is very subtile and obscure; and must be developed by art and ability, in distinguishing the different members of the sentences, and in distributing the pauses, rather than by depending upon the obvious construction. The truth of this observation has been practically illustrated by those distinguished scholars who succeeded his Lordship in translating the prophets. They have been by no means agreed, either in their distribution of parallelisms, or even in their decision what books, or parts of books, are to be accounted po etical; or, if poetical, are to be exhibited in the poetic form. " Doubts must always remain," says Archbishop Newcome, " not only as to the division of particular " lines which appear to have a poetical cast, but as to pas- " sages of some length, whether they resolve themselves " into metre or not. Bishop Lowth thinks that the
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 83
" prophet Haggai is wholly prosaic : but, before this au- " thority was observed, the following translation had been " formed, on the conjecture that great part of this book " admitted of a metrical division." Minor Prophets, Pref. p. ] 5. Dr. Blayney distributes the first, fifth, and seventh chapters of Zechariah, as unmingled prose ; Archbishop Newcome has exhibited those chapters, with a considerable mixture of verses : again, Archbishop Newcome, with the exception of one or two short paragraphs, divides the whole book of Hosea into parallelisms ; while Bishop Horsley, in his translation of the same prophet, disclaims any attempt at metrical arrangement, on the alleged grounds, that the division of hemistichs is not preserved in MSS. by masoretic punctuation, or otherwise ; and that the parallelism, the only remaining guide, is, in many, or most parts of that book, exceedingly imperfect, inter rupted, and obscure : yet his Lordship, at the same time, admits that the style of Hosea is poetical in the very highest degree ; that it possesses all the characters by which poetry, in any language, is distinguished from prose ; and that some of Bishop Lowth's choicest examples of parallelism, the great principle of Hebrew versification, are taken from this prophet. Preface to Hosea, p. xliii. xliv. It is presumed, that the absence of masoretic ac centuations of Hebrew verse, will hardly justify Bishop Horsley 's omission : in the books undoubtedly poetical, those accentuations often need to be rectified ; and, when they are correctly placed, they follow the parallelism; therefore, wherever they are not clearly superfluous, they are an incumbrance, and not an aid. But, however this may be, the acknowledged difficulties in always distinguish ing the parallelisms of the Old Testament (difficulties which, I am persuaded, time, and a more perfect know ledge of the subject, will hereafter remove,) may prepare us to expect similar difficulties in the first application of Bishop Lowth's principles to the New Testament ; yet, as in the former instance, these obstacles have not prevented
G 2
84 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V,
several attempts from being crowned with reasonable suc cess ; neither should their occasional recurrence in the present case, tempt us to relinquish our undertaking in despair.
(2) Thebook of Ecclesiastes.'] The substratum of this book is unquestionably prose : but it is equally unquestionable, that very elegant verses are frequently induced upon it. Mr. Desvoeux, in his Philol.Observ.on Ecclesiastes, p.341, &c. seems to have been the first who maintained this opinion: Bishop Lowth had been originally disposed to think the work altogether prose; but, in a subsequent edition of his Preelections, he cheerfully acceded to the sentiments of Mr. Desvoeux. See Prsel. xxiv. p. 279. Edit. Rosenm. Hebrew poetry would seem to be intro duced pretty much in the same proportion, into the New Testament, as into the book of Ecclesiastes.
(3) Hebraic parallelism in the Apocrypha.'] Bishop Lowth (Prsel. xxiv.) does not scruple to state, that the two didactic books of Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of the Son of Sirach, and that which is entitled the Wisdom of Solo mon, though extant only in Greek prose, may justly claim the distinction of Hebrew poetry. The twenty-fourth chapter of Ecclesiasticus has been translated by the Bishop into Hebrew verses; to which translation it may be sufficient to refer the reader, as a proof how completely the Son of Si rach had imbibed the spirit of poetical parallelism. From that finest of the apocryphal books, i shall adduce one short specimen ; which will be followed by examples from the books of Wisdom, Tobit, and first Maccabees : from these, and from other apocryphal writings, it were easy to accumu late specimens of like character : but my object is merely to show, within a brief compass, that the traditional chain of Hebrew poetical composition was preserved unbroken among the Jews, even at a period when their ancient lan guage had ceased to be vernacular.
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 85
sAsyJov <$>i\ov} PJTTOTS oux xa» si TI 6wo»]<rs, /xyjTrore - sAsyJov TOV <p*,\ov, pjTrore oux eiTrs- Ssure^cocrr) r
a^ y/vsrai
xa» pj ^avri Aoyco 'STifsygrw y; Jca^Sta <rou : gf iv oAKT^aiVwy Aoyco, xai oux a?ro
KUl Tl$ OU% Y)pOtgTY}<T£V £V TV] yAW(T
Sirachid.xlx. 13—16.*
Expostulate with a friend : perhaps he hath not done it ; And if he hath done aught, that he add not thereunto : Expostulate with thy friend : perhaps he hath not said it ; And if he hath said it, that he say it not again : Expostulate with a friend : for oft it is a slander ; And every accusation let not thine heart believe : There is, who slippeth in a word, but not from his soul ; And who hath not offended with his tongue ?
Oii a[jt,apc>tv§o$ s^iv ^ crotpja* xaj su^spoo; Sewpsirai VTTO rcav ayaTrwvrcov
KOil SUpl(7KSTOH U7TO TCOV
6 op$pi(rot$ e?r' «UTV]V ou
ttoLpsfipov yap eupYi<rei rcov -cruAcov WJTOV.
TO yap £V§VfJi,Y}§YjVOil IZSpl OtUTYjS) <ppQVY)(7£Cti$
xai 6 aypUTrvvjcraj S»' auTvjv,
on TQU$ a%iov$ avTY)$ otUTy -
xai sv TOIJ rpi£oif (pavra^erat auroij eujxsvcoj*
xa» ev CTacrr] STrjvoia uTravra auroij.
Wisdom, vi. 12 — 16-
Glorious and unfading is Wisdom ; And easily is she beheld, by those who love her ; And found, by those who seek her ; She anticipateth those who desire to be first known by her:
* In the sixth and seventh lines, I have adopted the Complu- tensian readings.
G 3
86 SACRED LITERATURE. £SECT. V.
He that riseth early in quest of her, shall not toil ; For he shall find her sitting at his doors : To be desirous therefore of her, is perfection of prudence; And he that watcheth on account of her, shall be
quickly without care : For, those who are worthy of her, she herself goeth
about seeking;
And in the ways she showeth herself to them graciously; And in every thought she meeteth them.
si <rv
sv T&oiO'Y} suAoy;a xaSotpa xai ayiot : KOLI suhoysiTooa-av <rs of ayioj <rou, xon -sracraf a! XTJO~£J£ (rou, xai vroiVTss ol ayysAoj o~ou, xai ol exAexTO/ o~ou, ere
xai ovx syevero jaoj xaa;^ vnsvoovv, xara TO
on
SsuTrora, eAso T>JV ^a;>jv aurwv ev JUST' ev<ppo(rvvYi$ xoti sAeouj.
TbfoY, viii. 15—18.
Worthy art thou to be praised, O God ; With all pure and holy praise : And let thy saints praise thee ; And all thy creatures ; And all thine angels; And thine elect ;
Let them praise thee for evermore ! To be praised art thou ; for thou hast made me joyful ; And it hath not been with me as I apprehended ; But according to thy great mercy hast thou dealt with us : To be praised art thou ; for thou hast been merciful to two only-begotten children ;
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE, 87
Fulfil to them, O Lord, thy mercy ; Complete their life in healthfullness ; With joyfulness, and mercy.
pvs-qpiov f2oio-i\ew$ xaAov KfV^at*
TOL 8s spya TOV ©sou avaxaAuTrrstv ev$o%ov * : tzroisirs, xa* xaxov ov% svpyvsi v^af
xaj sXs*j/x,o<ruvyj£, xa<
TO
syjjutoo-uv^v, *] Syorotvpureti yap ex ^avarou xa; aurrj otTroxoiSotpiei ol
o
V, xii. 7—10.
The secret of a king it is proper to keep close ;
But the works of God it is honourable to unveil :
Do good, and evil shall not find you ;
Good is prayer, with fasting, almsgiving, and justice,-
Good is a little with justice, rather than much with in
justice. ;
It is better to give alms, than to treasure up gold : For almsgiving delivereth from death ; And the same shall purge away all sin : They who give alms, and do justice, shall be filled with
life; But they who sin are enemies of their own life.
Ivan TOUTO eysvv^v TO cruvTpJj&jaa TOU Aaou povy xon TO crvvTpippa njf OToXewj rrjj xai xa3<o-aj sxei, sv TOV 8o3>jvai ai»T>]V sv xai TO ayiourpot sv %stp< eysvsro 6 vaoj aur>]£ wj avyjp
* So the Complut. edit.; others read G 4
88 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
TO,
of veotvuTKOi awry; sv postpone*.
vroiov eSvof oux extojpovopjcre /SowiAsiav
Xaf OUX SX.pOtTyG'S TWV (7Xl)A«;V ai>T»J£ j
•cra^ 6
CIVTI s
xat *5ow ra
xaj y; xaAAovrj r]jW,a;v,
xa< rj
xa* s^ij^Acocrsv aura ra e-^vrj :
Ivar* ^jtx.»v £TJ ^v ;
] Maccab. ii. 7 — 13.
Wo is me ! wherefore was I born to see this !
The treading down of my people ;
Even the treading down of the holy city !
And to sit idly * there, while she is given into the hands
of the Gentiles;
Even the sanctuary into the hands of strangers ! Her temple is become as an inglorious man ; The vessels of her glory are carried away captive : Her infants are slain in the streets ; Her young men with the sword of the enemy : What nation hath not inherited her kingdom ; And hath not seized upon her spoils ? All her ornaments are taken away ; Instead of a freewoman, she is become a slave ! And behold, our holy things, Arid our beauty,
And our glory, — are laid waste ; And the Gentiles have profaned them : Why then should we any longer live !
* That this is the force, in this place, of the verb has been shown by Professor Kuinoel, of Leipzig, in a note on S. Matt. iv. 16. See his " Observationes in Nov. Test, ex Libr. " Apocr. V. T." p. 6.
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 8§
(4-) The manner of Hebrew Poetry accurately, though not spiritedly, retained by rabbinical writers.'] Their aphoristic sentences rarely exceed the limits of a quatrain, generally containing an alternate parallelism of the antithetical kind. From Vorstius, " De Adagiis Nov. Test." and from Schoett- gen's " Horse Hebraicse," I have selected a few examples of this description ; the best, indeed, that I could find : but it can hardly fail to strike every reader, that, in vigour, in raciness, and in variety, they are far inferior, not merely to the specimens given from the Old Testament, but also to those adduced from the Apocrypha. The subject- matter often resembles that of our Lord's discourses ; but how different the manner, and the spirit ! — Hv ya.% 8»8a<7xo;v, coj sfouo-iav £%wv, KOU ov^J wg o! yqa^oiTzic. This is an im portant branch of the internal evidence of the Gospel.
Whosoever maketh himself humble, him the holy blessed
One exalteth ; But whosoever exalteth himself, him the holy blessed
One maketh humble :
And whosoever pursueth dignity, him dignity fleeth ; But whosoever fleeth dignity, to him doth dignity return.
Cod. Talm. Erubin. c. i.
When the number of sins on earth is increased ;
The holy name also is not glorified on earth : But when the number of sins on earth is not increased ;
Then the holy name of God is glorified on earth.
Sohar.Deut. fol. 127. col. 503.
Do the will of God, like thine own will ;
That he also may do thy will like his own : Forego thine own will, on account of his will ;
That he also may frustrate the will of others on
account of thy will.
Pirke Aboth. ii. 4.
Whosoever taketh on himself the yoke of the precept against usury ;
90 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
Taketh on himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven : But whosoever casteth off the yoke of that precept ; He also casteth off the yoke of the kingdom of heaven.
Siphra, fol. 104. 4.
Whosoever maketh himself little on account of the law
in this world ;
He becometh great in the world to come : And whosoever maketh himself a slave on account of
the study of the law in this world; He shall be free in the world to come.
Bava Mezia. fol. 84. 2.
When the holy blessed One judge th the Gentiles, he
judgeth them in the night ;
At the time when they sleep in their transgressions : But when he judgeth the Israelites, he judgeth them in
the day;
At the time when they are employed in the study of the law.
Midrasch Tehillim. ad Ps. ix.
If any one giveth attention to the law, for the sake of
the law ;
That study becometh to him an odour of life : But if a man studieth not for the sake of the law ; To him it becometh an odour of death.
Taanith. fol. 7. J.
(5) The native and imperishable excellencies of the Hebrew parallelism.'] I can by no means consider the adoption by our Lord of the Hebrew poetical manner, as exclusively, or even primarily, an accommodation to the habits and feelings of his countrymen ; though, for argument-sake, it has been so regarded in the text; and though it must, beyond doubt, have been eminently grateful to those habits and feelings. But this manner can never become obsolete ; and, the more thoroughly it is investigated and under-
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 91
stood, the more will it be found a noble auxiliary of the best moral philosophy. The antithetical and gradual dis tinctions which it continually requires, induce the natural developement, and almost unconscious reception, of a system of moral oppositions and gradations, alike beau tiful, just, and useful. In virtue of this manner, the Hebrew sages had, in no slight degree, anticipated the dialectic sagacity of St. Augustine, and the analytic acuteness of the schoolmen, unalloyed by the severity of the one, or by the ostentation of the other. That our Lord was pleased to move in the path thus prepared, I hope abundantly to prove ; and what has been the result? A result universally felt, though, so far as lan guage is concerned, the causes of it have never been sufficiently explored; that, in HIS discourses, profound ness and simplicity meet with unexampled union. Never was so much said, in so few words ; and never did so much beauty come forth, as if without being called for.
(6) The New Testament not written in a purely Greek style.'} The controversy that once so violently agitated the learned world, respecting the style of the New Testament, has long been set at rest : the first biblical scholars are now unanimously agreed, that, while the words are Greek, the phraseology is Hebrew. They who are desirous to acquaint themselves competently with the subject, will find the necessary information, or will be guided to the sources of it, in Fabricins, Bibl. Graec. vol. iii. pp. 224< — 227. ; in Ernesti, Instit. Interpr. Nov. Test. pp. 83 — 100. edit. 1809; in Michaelis, Introd. to New Test. c. iv. vol. i. pp, 97 — 200. ; in Dr. Campbell's first and second Preliminary Dissertations to the four Gospels ; and in Dr. Maltby's Illustrations of the Truth of the Christian Religion, 2d ed. pp. 1 — 12. Several ex cellent observations are also made by the learned Mosheim, Cogit. de Interpr. et Emend. SS. Litt. published in his Observ. Sacr. Amst. 8vo. 1721 ; or, enlarged and improved, in his Syntagma Dissert. Lips. 4to. 1733. The
92 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
preface, too, of Fecht, to Raphel's observations on the N. T. may be read with advantage.
The following extracts, it is presumed, will show the expectation to be far from unreasonable, that, among other peculiarities of Hebrew construction, the parallelism must be found in the New Testament.
" Negari non potest, Deum ter Opt. Max. admira- " bilem, minimeque fortuitam loquendi cum hominibus^ in " utroque S. voluntatis suae et religionis instrumento " servasse consonantiam, congrueritiamque. Unde fac- " turn est, ut cum verba essent alterius linguae in Novo " Testamento, ratio loquendi eadem animadverteretur : 66 Aut, si clarius dicendum est, ut character Veteris Testa- " menti non quasi interpretatione libera, sed retentis " formulis, totaque indole representatus, agnosci posset. " Usus ipse et experientia locupletissimum praebent tes- " timonium, neque facilius, neque gravius, ad ipsum 66 Novi Testament! nucleum perveniri, quam ea resolvendi " interpretandique ratione, quae Vet. Test, stylo, novi fcede- " ris libros, metitur, expendit, evolvit.
" Ex ipsa divinissimarum rerum, humanisque nee " mentibus comprehensarum, nee linguis pronunciata- " rum (ita enim omnino de evangelic, et sacris scripturis, " respectu humanorum operum scriptorumque, loquen- " dum est) indole, novus quidem orationis character, sua " sponte exhibetur. Atque, ut philosophia euayy=Aix>j " Novi Testamenti cum nullo monumento praeterquam " cum Veteris Testamenti sapientia conferri potest, ita, " dictio, quae rerum genium mira exprimendi arte gra- 66 vitateque sequitur, non alia quam ejus styli compara- " tione designabitur, quo talia primum, et quidem cum 66 respectu ad Novum Testamentum secuturum, adeoque cum " tacita exempli conformitate, Divinus Spiritus consignavit.
" Extra dubium mihi videtur, stylum Novi Testamenti a " caetera graecitate tota humanorum operum diversum esse. " Si quaeras, qua ratione potissimum ? Dicam xara rov >JJ tegeooc, qui ad idioma Veteris Testamenti
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. 93
" quod citra controversial!! singulare est, et exemplo " caret) proxime accedit. Argument! loco amplius con- " siderandum hie proponimus, quod Novum Testamentum " in nullam omnino linguam, tarn facile, et quasi de verbo " ad verbum transferri potest, sicuti in Hebraeara: adeo " quidem, ut cum duplex alias interpret! labor oriatur, " quomodo nimirum et mentem scriptoris quern iiiter- " pretatur exprimat, et linguam qua interpretatur non " violet aut negligat, — hie posteriori ilia solicitudine vix " opus videatur, Hebraeo idiomate sponte et statim cum " stylo Novi Testament! conspirante."
J. H. BOECLER. Diss. de Ling. Nov. Test, original. §§ 6. 8, 9. 43.
" Certum est, singularem quendam, et ab aliis scripto- " ribus Graecis differentem, non linguam nee dialectum, sed " colorem dictionis stylique, in libris novi foederis exstare, " cui nihil unquam similius aut propius eo nomine acce- " dens reperitur, quam GraBca Ixx interpretum versio
" Veteris Testament!."
FABRICIUS, EM. Grac. vol. iii. p. 224.
" Though the two testaments are written in different " languages, the same idiom prevails in both ; and, in the " historical part at least, nearly the same character of " style." CAMPBELL, Prelim. Dissert, vol.i. p. 2.
" Every man who has read the Greek Testament, knows " that it contains a variety of Hebrew words, such as " #pjv, aAAv)Aou<#, but single words are trifles in compa- " risen with sentences. The whole arrangement of the " periods is regulated according to the Hebrew verses, " (not those in Hebrew poetry, but such as are found in the " historical books, and are always closed with Silluk cum " Soph Pasuk,) which are constructed in a manner directly " opposite to the roundness of the Grecian language."
MICHAELIS, Intr. vol.i. p. 123.
" Sed base, ut arbitror, vestigia ling. Hebr. sunt in sin- " gulis verbis formulisque dicendi animad versa. Quid
94 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. V.
" vero ? An etiam in habitu et velut forma totius ora- " tionis aliquid ejusmodi animadvertitur ? Saepe miratus u sum, viros doctissimos, cum de stylo N. T. ut vocant, " in utramque partem dissererent, hanc partem, quantum " ego quidem repererim, non attigisse soils verbis et " phrasibus expendendis voluisse contineri."
ERNESTI, De Vestig. Ling. Hebr. in Ling. Gr. ad finem.
Had Boeder been acquainted with the nature of the Hebrew parallelism, it is not improbable, that he would have sought and found it in the New Testament. That Ernesti, Michaelis, and Campbell, stopped short where they did, is somewhat extraordinary. Michaelis, espe cially, seems to have been on the very brink of discovering a poetical conformation of verses in the New Testament : as appears from his very denial of the fact ; for why deny it, if the supposition had not been present to his mind ?
(7) A poetical manner observable in the New Testament.'} 66 Besides a peculiarity of style from the perpetual recur- " rence of Jewish phraseology, the New Testament has, " in common with the Old, the leading features of the " oriental style of instruction, — short aphoristic sen- " tences, and frequent use of allegory and parable. In " each, extreme simplicity of phrase is joined throughout, " to extreme boldness and pomp of imagery ; and both " are rendered the more striking by their proximity. This " is frequently seen in the most familiar discourses re- " corded of Christ by the evangelists. Even in the Sermon " on the Mount, the subject and the simile are often " united in a manner which the nations of the West have " never employed out of poetry."
BUTLER, Horce Eiblicce, p. 27. ed. 1799.
(8) Critics have, in a few instances, observed the paral lelism in the New Testament."] It has been already noticed^ that Mr. Home, in his late biblical work, has cited S. Luke, i. 52, 53., as an example of parallelism. It may be added, that Mr. Wakefield, in his " New Translation of S. Mat-
SECT. V.] SACRED LITERATURE. Q5
" thew's Gospel," has distributed, and described, as He braic parallelisms, the following passages : " S. Matt. vi. 25. vii. 6. xx. 25 — 27. xxiv. 29. and S. Luke, i. 35. Mr. Farrer, in his Bampton Lecture Sermons, reduces the Beatitudes, S. Matt. v. 3, &c. to Hebrew poetry. And Ammon, in his notes on Ernesti Interp. Nov. Test., has the following observation : " Synonymia occurrens in " phrasibus adpellatur exergasia, et apud scriptores V. T. " poeticus parallelismus, cujus leges cognoscere debet " hymnorum Lucae et Apocalypseos interpres. Vid. " Schleusner. Diss. de parallelismo membrorum egregio " intevpretationissubsidio. Lips. 1781. 4to." Ernesti, p. 43. Schleusner' s work, here cited, I have been unable to pro cure; bat, for reasons mentioned, Sect. III. note (3), I fear that its tendency may be injurious : from Ammon's manner of reference, I presume, however, that Schleusner recognises the parallelism, at least in the songs of S. Luke, and the Apocalyptic hymns. It should not be omitted, that Ammon, when designating the writers with whom those of the New Testament should be compared, for the purpose of determining their claims to purity of style, says, that the Apocalypse should be compared with Pindar and ^Eschylus ; and the hymns of the New Testament, with the choruses of the tragedians. I find, that Dr. A. Clarke, on S. Luke, i. 46. describes the address of the angel to Zacharias, in the same chapter, ver. 13 — 17.; that to the Virgin, ver. 30 — 33.; and Elizabeth's answer to Mary, ver. 42 — 45., as all delivered in poetry, and all easily reducible to that hemistichal form, in which the He brew poetry of the Old Testament is found in many MSS. With the passages referred to in this note, I was altoge ther unacquainted, till after I had reduced, for my private satisfaction, the whole Sermon on the Mount, and several other portions of the New Testament, to the form of He brew parallelism : and, as I was far less anxious to find myself original than just, I rejoiced at meeting such autho rities, at least partially in my favour.
96
SECTION VI.
WHEN Bishop Lowth was desirous to establish an identity of form and character, in the composi tion of the books universally esteemed poetical, and in that of the prophetical writings, espe cially the writings of Isaiah, he proceeded in the following manner : he produced various exam ples of parallelism from books of Scripture unde niably poetical ; he then adduced correspondent examples from Isaiah, and from the other prophets ; and, himself satisfied by this experimental evidence, he left the complete similarity of construction so exhibited, to work its own effect upon the reader's mind. In the present undertaking, I see no reason for departing from a precedent at once so judicious and successful. I have already brought forward sufficient examples of parallelism from the Old Testament : it remains that I should match them with suitable examples from the New. An addi tional link, however, in the chain of evidence, and that link a strong one, is afforded by a circum stance, in which the evangelists and apostles differ materially from their inspired predecessors : the prophets, however they might occasionally imitate and enlarge upon passages in preceding books of Scripture, and however they might, in language, in imagery, and even in the substance of their predictions, yet more frequently resemble each
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 97
other, were by no means in the habit of direct quotation : not so the writers of the New Testa ment ; for obvious reasons, their quotations are numerous, and often scrupulously exact ; inso much, that, in the opinion of the ablest judges *, the citations in the New Testament are, in several places, more expressive of the original Hebrew, than the corresponding passages in the Alexandrine, and other versions. Now, in cases of quotation from poetical parts of the Old Testament, it ap pears to me, after careful examination, that not only the sense is faithfully rendered, but the parallelism is beautifully preserved, by the New Testament writers : no trifling evidence, that they were skilled in Hebrew poetry ; and no unreason able ground of expectation, that, on fit occasions, their own original composition should afford good examples of poetical construction.
To the subject of New Testament quotation from the poetical parts of the Hebrew Scriptures, I propose devoting this, and the two succeeding Sections ; that subject naturally distributing itself into three divisions: 1. Simple and direct quota tions of single passages ; 2. Quotations of a more complex kind : when fragments are combined, from different parts of the poetical Scriptures, and wrought up into one connected whole ; 3. Quo tations mingled with original matter : when one or more passages, derived from the Hebrew Scrip-
* Particularly Surenhusius, /3t#Xoj xaraAAay^, and Dr. H. Owen, in his " Modes of quotation used by the evangelical writers," &c.
H
98 SACRED LITERATURE, (jSECT. VI.
tures, are so connected and blended with original writing, that the compound forms one homoge neous whole ; the sententious parallelism equally pervading all the component members, whether original or derived.
In the present Section, I shall produce some specimens of simple and direct quotation of single passages, from the poetical parts of the Old Testa ment ; accompanied by suitable observations.
ws sXa%ig-Yi si sv TOI$
rov Aaov ju-oy rov
And thou, Bethlehem, territory of Judah,
Art by no means least among the captains of Judah :
For from thee shall come forth a leader,
Who will guide my people Israel.
St. Matt. ii. 6.
This passage seemingly contradicts both the present Hebrew text, and the Septuagint version. The former might be rendered thus :
And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, Art little to be in the thousands of Judah : Out of thee shall come forth unto me, [One who is] to be ruler in Israel.
Micah.) v. 2.
The Septuagint version stands thus in the Alexandrine copy :
cru
ei TOU sivon sv %iXiO(.criv
ex crou
TQV eivai si$ ap%ovTa sv TW
Micah, v. 2.
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 99
The Vatican copy reads ^ instead of yap, drops ^YOV^SVOS, and reads TOU la-payx for sv TW ic-payx.
It appears, from the Arab. Vers. and from the Commentary of S. Jerome, that the Septuag. had originally the negative particle before oXiyo$-of, and, indeed, it is extant in the Barberini MS. which reads pj ox<yos-o£ : a reading clearly demanded by the yap of the Alexandrine copy. In citing this passage of Micah, several Fathers give the negative particle : S. Justin Martyr, Dialog, cum Tryph. pag. 235. edit. Jebb, reads o «&«]&«$ exa;^. Tertul- lian, adv. Judaeos, § 1<2. vol. ii. p. 665. edit. Oberthiir, NON minima. Origen. Cont Cels. lib. i. p. 39. edit. Spencer, ov* ox/yog-oj. S. Cyprian, Adv. Judaeos, lib. ii. sect. 12. p. 39. edit. Fell, NON exigua. And thus, St. Matthew stands recon ciled with that, which, in all probability, is the true reading of the Septuagint.
As to the Hebrew text, Dr. Pocock under stands the word Tyy to mean great, as well as little; some conclude, that the negative particle $h was accidentally lost ; and others, without either putting force on words, or altering the text, propose to read the passage interrogatively, thus :
And thou, Bethlehem Ephrata,
Art thou little among the thousands of Judah?
The interrogation in the Hebrew text, and still more the negative particle, coupled with the super lative degree, in the text of S. Matthew, convey the opposite affirmative very emphatically ; in the former case, expressing thou art ASSUREDLY great;
H 2
100 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
and, in the latter case, thou art ASSUREDLY THE GREATEST. And thus, the texts of S. Matthew and Micah are so reconciled, that there is not the least pretext for resorting to the strange fancy of S. Jerome, adopted by Pere Simon, Michaelis, &c., that S. Matthew did not intend, or undertake, to quote the prophet correctly ; but merely reported the answer of the chief priests and scribes, with all its glosses and misrepresentations of the divine original. See Surenhusius, /3<£xo£ xaraxxay*)?, p. 170 — 181.; Dr. H.Owen, Modes of Quotat. p. 16 — 18. ; and Dr. Blair's (of Westminster) Lectures on the Septuagint, p. 147—158.
It may have been observed, that while in Micah we read " the thousands of Judah," S. Matthew has vjye^oo-iv *ou£a. This variation is easily recon ciled : the Jews were divided into tribes, or thou sands; S. Matthew elegantly substitutes the captains of thousands, for the thousands whom they com manded; a substitution that more strongly projects the force of rjyou^evof, THE LEADER, in the next line; a word elliptically understood in the prophet, but most happily supplied by the evangelist. The beauty of the verb ixro^avs/, he shall guide AS A SHEP HERD, indicating the pastoral nature of the Messiah's rule, has been justly pointed out. See Dr. Hales's " New Analysis of Chronology," vol. ii. p. 462.
But, what is most to the present purpose, any person skilled in the nature of the parallelism, will at once perceive, that, in this passage, it is far more accurately retained by S. Matthew than in the Septuagint ; and that, while the inspired apostle
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 101
is true to the sense, he improves the poetical spirit, of the original.
My next example shall be taken, also, from the same chapter of S. Matthew :
sv
xoti
TO, TSM/X, xai OVK yeXe •craaxAySvViso OTJ OVK
A voice in Rama hath been heard ; Lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning : Rachel weeping for her children ; And would not be comforted, because they are not.
St. Matt. 11. 18.
This passage is quoted from Jeremiah, xxxi. 15., * which may be thus rendered :
A voice in Rama hath been heard ; Lamentation, and most bitter weeping : Rachel weeping for her children,
Refuseth to be comforted for her children, because they are not.
* Respecting the strictly correct application, and not accom modation, of this prophecy by S. Matthew, it were injustice not to mention an able, and, as I think, most convincing argu ment, in the " Critical Essays" of the Rev. Charles Forster, B.D. On the general merits of this publication, I dare not venture my opinion : the language of guarded caution, would altogether fail to express what I soberly think of it ; the language of truth and simplicity, might be ascribed to the partiality of friendship. It would, perhaps, be impracticable to observe the proper medium, in speaking of a daily and hourly companion, " quocum et do- " mus et militia communis ; et id in quo est ornnis vis amicitiae, " voluntatum, studiorum> sententiarum, summa consensio."
H 3
102 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
In the principal editions of the Septuagint, the Vatican, the Alexandrine, and the Complutensian, the passage has been so rendered, as to disfigure the parallelism : the Vatican reads :
<p«;v»j sv papcx.
xoti xavAOV xai
oux
A voice in Rama hath been heard, Of lamentation, and of weeping, and of mourning : Rachel weeping,
Would not be comforted for her children, because they are not.
The nouns in the second line, thus put into the genitive case, are thereby taken out of apposition with the noun in the first line ; and the couplet is consequently reduced from a very striking paral lelism, into mere prose : again, the omission of roi T£*va auTK, " for her children," in the third line, together with the insertion of the tantamount words, SKI TMV VIM avTYtf, in the fourth line, destroys the relative proportion of the lines, and takes them out of Hebrew poetry.
In the Alexandrine copy it stands thus :
ev
XOtl xXOLvOV XOtl
xai OVK YsXs -s7aaxA>>va< OTI oyx
A voice in Rama hath been heard,
Of lamentation, and of weeping, and of mourning ;
Of Rachel weeping for her children ;
And she would not be comforted, because they are not.
SECT. VI.]] SACRED LITERATURE. 108
The relative proportion of the last lines is here restored ; but the genitive cases, continued through the second and third lines, take the passage out of parallelism.
The Complutensian edition gives a reading pre ferable to either of the above, and nearer to the text of S. Matthew :
p«jOta
xcu xAavfywf, xcti otTTOxXaiopsvYis ano TOW vicav xai ovx yjSsAev 7ragaxA>jSyjvou, on OVK SKTIV.
A voice in Rama hath been heard,
Lamentation, and weeping, and mourning,
Of Rachel weeping for her children,
And she would not be comforted, because they are not.
Here, the first couplet, taken by itself, makes genuine Hebrew poetry : but taken, as, by the construction, it must be, in connexion with the genitive, p«%>jA oiTroxXotiopsvys, the poetry again is gone.
From every one of these faults, the text of S. Matthew is free ; the construction is senten tious like Hebrew poetry, not periodical like Greek prose ; line is in apposition with line ; and the relative proportion of members is preserved. It should be observed, that the apostle renders the second line with a force and beauty exclusively his own : the original of that line, preserving the Hebrew idiom, may be thus rendered :
Lamentation, and weeping of bitternesses ,'
a sentence which, as exhibiting one of the most
H 4
104< SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
powerful superlatives in the Hebrew language, the evangelist expresses by three nouns substantive, with the addition of the adjective
Lamentation, and weeping, and MUCH mourning.
The Septuagint gives three substantives; but in no copy of it is the adjective to be found.
It may be further observed, that S. Matthew improves upon the received Hebrew text, by re jecting the repetition in the fourth line of rVfe'by* "for her children :" a rejection confirmed by the Compl. Septuag. and by the Syriac. These words Dr. Blayney, in his translation of Jeremiah, very properly expunges, " as carrying internal marks " of interpolation ; as being not only superfluous, " but rather perplexing the sense, and loading the " metre." If, as it is extremely probable, the Hebrew text had the superfluous words in S. Mat thew's day, his rejection of them argues both cri tical skill, and an attention to the concinnity and equipoise of the poetical parallelism.
The example now to be produced, is a quota tion, also by S. Matthew, from Isaiah : the follow ing is a fair representation of the original, as understood by Vitringa, Mede, Lowth, Dathe, Rosenmuller, and Stock :
At the former time he made vile,
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nepthali : And in the latter time he hath made glorious,
The way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles :
SECT. VI. J SACRED LITERATURE. 105
The people that walked in darkness,
Have seen a great light : And the dwellers in the land of the shadow of death,
Light is risen upon them.
Isaiah, viii. 22. ix, 1.
The beginning of this prophecy, to use the strong expressions of Joseph Mede (Book i. Disc. 25. p. 101.) has been sadly " troubled and dark- " ened, by mis-translating, and mis-distinguishing " it : — the Septuagint is here corrupted into " mere nonsense." Thus deformed, it were idle to think of reducing the former part of this ver sion to an arrangement in parallel lines : while the latter part, though capable of being so arranged, presents a marred and mutilated meaning, by a confusion both of persons and tenses. The most ingenious efforts of criticism, to remove the cor ruption, or even to account for it, have altogether failed. I do not attempt an English translation :
TOUTO vrgcuTOV iris' TOi^u TTOISI %wgo<> £a£ouAc«v, YI yrj 6§ov 3aAa<r<r>j£ xai ol AOJTTOJ of rqv TragaAiav xaTOixouvre? Toy logtiotvou yaAiAcua TWV o Aao£ 6 xaSrjjasvoc sv
tiers <
sv «;a xai CTXJ« AajU-4/ci 5(f>' yj
S. Matthew quotes but a part of the passage :
6Sov ^aAacro-vj?, negav TOU lo^avou, yaA»Aa<« TWV
o Aaof o xot§Y}[j,£Vo$ sv
xai TOIJ xajttsvoij sv coa xai crx<a
106 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nepththali,
By the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles : The people that sate in darkness,
Hath seen a great light :
And they who sate in the place and shadow of death, Light hath risen upon them.
S. Matt. iv. 15, 16.
The partiality of S. Matthew's quotation, Joseph Mede attributes to the corrupt state of the Septua* gint version ; which prevented him from citing any " thing of that first sentence, but only the names " of Zabulon and Nephthali." An opinion, to which few probably will subscribe, when it is considered, that, according to the judgment both of ancient and modern times, S. Matthew wrote his gospel^/zrs/ in Hebrew, and therefore could not have been prevented by the obscurity and mutilation of the Greek version, from citing the clear and uncor- rupted original : but, even if S. Matthew wrote the Jirst edition of his gospel in Greek, who that has care fully examined his quotations, can doubt his abi lity, to set aside the erroneous rendering of the LXX, and to substitute, in its room, an accurate translation ?
The truth is, that the evangelist's omission of the first and third lines, appears to have been peculiarly judicious. If inserted, they must have carried away most minds to extraneous and obsolete consider ations; to the contrast between the newly-risen spiri tual glory, and the past temporal debasement of Za bulon and Nephthali, during the invasion of Tiglath Pileser : a noble topic of prospective consolation,
SECT. VI. J SACRED LITERATURE. 107
when the prophecy was delivered ; but a needless divergement from the main object, when the pro phecy was fulfilled. It would seem, therefore, that, desirous to produce unity of impression, S. Mat thew retained only those portions of the prophecy which convey the notions of spiritual darkness, and spiritual light.
The parallelism of members, it will be observed, is beautifully retained : one only difference from the original is discoverable. In the Hebrew, and in the Vatican copy of the Sept. we find, " the people "that WALKED in darkness:" in S. Matt, "the " people that SATE in darkness." This, it must be confessed, is the reading of all the Greek MSS. and Edd. also of the Syr. Arm. and Copt, versions. Yet still, I do not think it was the original reading of S. Matthew.
In the first place, several MSS. and Edd. of the Vulgate, read " qui ambulabat:" this also is the reading of the " Harmonia Evangel." of Victor Capuan : it is approved, by N. De Lyra ; by Anto ninus Florent. ; by Cajetan ; and by Jansenius, " Concord Evangel." fol. 154. Erasmus Schmidius, in his notes, and Bengel, in the margin of his first edit, of the N. T. 1?34, prefer 6 ^ogeuo^svog to 6 *a- Sijftevos' while, in his second edit. 17«53, Bengel accounts the two readings of equal value. The learned Drusius proposes 6 OTO^SUO^SVO?, with no in considerable confidence, in his " Parallela Sacra."
Again, it must be observed, that, while the great body of critics defend the reading of 6 xa^jxsvo^, they defend it on opposite, and mutually destruc-
108 SACRED LITERATURE* [SECT. VI.
live grounds: Grotius, Spanheim, Surenhusius, Lightfoot, &c. contend that 6 xotSypevos and 6 «rogeuo- //,£vo$- are synonymous, and, therefore, argue that the former word gives the proper sense of the original : while Alberti, Raphel, Palairet, &c. attribute to xa§wsvo$ the greater force and emphasis, and, there fore, account it the genuine reading. The greater emphasis of xa^evoj is, indeed, unquestionable; but, from this very fact, may be derived no slight argu ment for the substitution of *rogeyoj«,svo?. In the other members of the quatrain, there is a clear gradation of the sense : " darkness" is less terrific, than " the place and shadow of death ; " to " see " a great light," which may be at a distance, and which may shed no cheering influence, is less delightful, than to have " light risen upon " the favoured individuals, with healing in its beams : and, by the laws of cognate parallelism, this two fold gradation would require a similar progress in the remaining members of the quatrain : now, this progress will be afforded, if; in conformity with the Hebrew text, and under sanction of the above-cited authorities, we read,
6 Aaoj 6 wosvofAevos sv
The people that WALKED in darkness ;
And they who SATE in the place and shadow of death :
Respecting the comparative moral force of walking and sitting, I would refer to what has been already said in Section III., on the first verse of the first Psalm.
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 109
On this subject, I shall only add, that the evan gelists often slightly vary from the Hebrew original, where, by such variations, they can improve at once the sense and the parallelism : but, on the supposi tion that S. Matthew here actually wrote 5 xa&j/x-svoj, this will probably be found the single instance, in which anyone of the evangelists has, in a direct quot ation, departed from the Hebrew, to the great dis advantage, both of the parallelism, and of the sense. And, for my own part, however greatly I dislike conjectural emendation, yet still, with the Hebrew, the Septuagint, and the Anc. Vulgate on my side, I should much prefer the imputation of a very natural mistake to copyists, before the imput ation of a gross and improbable error to S. Mat thew : a preference additionally recommended, by the sound remark of Bengel, in his " Crises Novi " Testamenti," that xa^svo? might very easily have been caught up by the transcriber, from the closely subsequent
One more example shall conclude the present Section :
vis n/,ou, ju-
pjSs exAyou UTT aurou ov yap ayaTrc*.
Se izavTc*. uiov, ov
My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord : Nor faint, when thou art rebuked by him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, But scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb. xii. 5, 6.
HO SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
This passage is taken from Proverbs, iii. 11, 12. : thus rendered in our authorised translation :
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord ;
Neither be weary of his correction : For whom the Lord loveth, he correcteth ;
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
In the last line, our translators have followed the Vulgate, which reads :
Et quasi pater in filio complacet sibi.
The Syriac and Chaldee read :
Et sicuti pater qui castigat filium.
Bathe's rendering is :
Atque tamen eo, ut pater filio delectatur :
and he gives his opinion, that the received reading of Prov. iii. 12. should not be meddled with ; on the ground, that it affords a good sense ; and that the other reading, that, be it observed, of St. Paul, nearly borders on tautology; a charge, surely, which a modern professor might, with more seem- liness, have hesitated to bring against an inspired writer of the New Testament.
St. Paul's reading, however, is afforded without altering a letter in the Hebrew text, by a slight departure from the Masoretic punctuation : ^£O means "even as a father;" but HJO " he hath afflicted," or " scourged." The passage, there fore, may be thus rendered, in strict conformity with the apostle :
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. Ill
The chastening of Jehovah, my son, do not despise ;
Neither be weary, at his rebuking : For whom Jehovah loveth, he chasteneth ;
But scourgeth the son in whom he delighteth.
See Surenhusius, J. Cappel, Grotius, Sykes, Hallet, and Macknight, but especially the learned Dr. John Owen, on Heb. xii. 6.
As the quatrain stands in this corrected version, and in the epistle to the Hebrews, the parallelism is preserved ; and, very far from tautology, there is a fine climax in the sense.
The parallelism is preserved : for the ^^yo^ " scourgeth/' of the fourth line, answers to the wfieusi, " chasteneth," of the third, precisely as the wov ov vrotgotiexsTau, " son whom he receiv- eth," of the former, answers to the ov ay*™, " whom he loveth/' of the latter. A like bi-mem- bral correspondence may be traced, in the four terms of the first couplet. In the third and fourth lines, there is a beautiful epanodos : God's love and his paternal affection, are placed first and last; his chastening and .scourging, are placed in the centre ; and thus, the impression first made, and last enforced, is that of the divine benignity.
There is also a fine climax in the sense : in the first couplet, exAu=iv, " to faint," is a stronger term, than oxiywgeiv, " to make light of;" and eAsyx0/^1^ " rebuked," " reproved," implies a sterner pro cess than mere *rai8e*a, " chastening," or instructive discipline : again, in the second couplet, there is a similar gradation : " to scourge," is severer dis cipline than merely " to chasten ;" a scourging
112 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VI.
is the ne-plus-ultra of corrective instruction ; and the " son whom God receiveth," that is, adopteth, taketh to himself acknowledged for his own, stands in a more endearing relation to God, than the person, not called a son, " whom he/' merely " loveth."
Beza proposes a strange alteration in the Greek text ; he argues, that, as ^af/yoj 8e, with the ad versative particle, seems to be opposed to vrafisusi, one would think oy should be inserted before
For whom the Lord loveth, he cliasteneth ;
BUT scourgeth every son whom he doth NOT receive :
Now, surely, it is improbable, that a person thus expelled from the divine favour and protection, should, in the same words that pronounce his miserable doom, be called A SON. The argument also would be curious : the laws of alternate parallelism require that we should connect the second line with the fourth : let us see how they stand connected, according to Beza's plan :
Nor faint when thou art rebuked ;
FOR God scourgeth every son whom he doth NOT receive:
that is, " do not faint, since your chastisement is only penal ; since you are only an outcast from the eternal providence." Or take it otherwise ; and suppose the last line to contain some actual en couragement to the spirit fainting under God's corrective discipline ; of what nature then is that encouragement ? It is of a kind at which humanity
SECT. VI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 113
recoils: " do not faint; for, however severe your " sufferings, you may solace yourself with the " comfortable reflection, that they are as nothing, " compared with those sufferings which must be " eternally endured, by those, whom God, in " his high sovereignty, hath excluded from his " family."
Why did this learned man go out of his way, to enlist false grammar, and false rhetoric, in the cause of that, which, happily, is not true theology? His notions seem to accord rather with Jewish than with Christian apprehensions of our " Al mighty and most merciful Father." Rabbinical writers were fond of distinguishing between pa rental and penal inflictions, in no very amiable way; as the reader may see, who chooses to consult Schoettgen on Heb. xii. 6.
But, truly, this passage cannot be tortured into a recognition of Calvin's " horribile decrelum:" the negative ov is without the support of a single MS., Version, or Father ; and it is quite irreconcileable with the bearing of the context : the particle $s is not here adversative, but amplificatory ; it indi cates, not antithesis, but climax : " whom the " Lord merely loveth, he chasteneth, he corrects " lightly ; but, there is a stricter, yet more gra- " cious process in reserve ; God scourgeth, he " corrects with severity, for his greater good, the " son whom he receivcth ; the object of his special " regard, and most peculiar care,"
SECTION VII.
IN the last section, we have been considering simple and direct quotations of single passages from the poetical parts of the Old Testament : in the present section, we shall proceed to examine quotations of a more complex kind ; wherein frag ments are combined, from different parts of the poetical Scriptures ; and wrought up into one consistent whole.
The following passage is a short, but satisfactory specimen :
pov, 01x05 TTpoa-sv^Yi^ xyjcrsTa/ Tracn TOJJ
My house shall be called the house of prayer for all the
nations ; But ye have made it a den of thieves.
S. Mark, xi. 17.
Here is a parallel couplet of the antithetical kind ; no less acutely pointed, than if its two con trasted propositions were, at once, and for the first time, conceived and delivered by the divine vindi cator of his own holy temple : but they are derived from two passages totally independent of each other, and very remotely connected in their sub ject-matter. The first line stands in the Septuagint version of Isaiah, Ivi. 57« exactly as it does in
SECT. VII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 115
S. Mark : the substance of the second line occurs in the prophet Jeremiah :
A>jfa;v 6 oixoj p,ov ; Is my house a den of thieves ?
So to bring together such materials, and out of them to construct a sentence thus antithetically pointed, and, as all readers of the Gospel and the Jewish history know, most applicable to the occa sion, argues no ordinary familiarity with the cha racters of men, and with the style of Hebrew poetry.
In the parallel places of S. Matthew and S. Luke, the words van TOI$ eSvenv are omitted j whether the antithetical balance be more complete with them, or without them, the reader may determine. But, on the very reasonable, and, as I think, just hy pothesis of Dr. Townson, it may not be difficult to assign a probable motive for the retention of this clause by S. Mark, and for its omission by his brother-evangelists. According to Dr. Townson, " The Gospels were composed in the " order in which they stand : S. Matthew wrote " more immediately for the Jews who had em- " braced the faith : S. Mark, for both Jewish and " Gentile converts ; S. Luke, particularly for the " latter." Works, Vol. I. p. 4. Now, supposing this to be the true state of the case, had S. Mat thew inserted the clause, he might have shocked the prejudices of those converts for whom he wrote, by seeming to equalize the Gentiles with the Jews: and had S. Luke inserted it, he might,
i 2
116 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VII,
perhaps, have appeared to inculcate a greater reve rence for the sacred localities of Jerusalem, than was consistent with the training and circumstances of converts exclusively Gentile : it would seem, that the first evangelist wrote at a period too early, and the third evangelist at a period too late, for the beneficial introduction of a clause that connected the Gentiles with the Temple. But S. Mark, writing at a middle period, when Jews and Gentiles were beginning to be united in the Christian Church, would seem to have judged well, in putting forward a passage calculated to cement the growing union ; as if he had said : " Christians of the circumcision, do not judge " hardly of your Gentile brethren ; for your own " sacred temple is, by God's appointment, their " house of prayer : Christians of the nations, do " not despise the Jews ; for they were the founden, " the occupants, and the hereditary guardians of " that holy temple, in which the God of Jews and " Gentiles set apart a place of prayer for you."
With respect to the passage at large, as ori ginally proceeding from our Lord, it may not be improper to insert a fine illustration of it, from the Jewish historian : an illustration which has been imperfectly cited by Wetstein and by Krebs, each giving but a portion of it : — The whole is worthy of attention, as the testimony of a witness, whose prejudices must have leaned the other way, to the justice of our Lord's indignant crimination. The abominable and desecrating wickedness here de scribed, was too full grown, to have been the pro-
SECT. VII. J SACRED LITERATURE, 117
duction of forty years : On TO.
TCUV rfofaK&Te, xho7ra$ Asyo^ KXI svefigxc, xai
§'e£j£=T£ xoti <povoti$, xoii %svct$ xaivoTO
$s 7r«VT«;y TO i=£ov ysyovs, xa»
pspuoivroti X.M§°S) w xou fafAotioi voggooSsv Trgoarexwovv. Joseph.
de Bell. Jud. lib. v. cap. ix. § 4.
" You are not ashamed of those crimes, which " ordinarily seek concealment ; thefts, I mean, and " circumventions, and adulteries. But, in rapacity " and slaughter, you strive for the mastery ; and " task your ingenuity, to invent new ways of sin- " ning : while the Temple itself is become the re- " ceptacle of all these abominations ; and, with " Jewish hands, you violate that consecrated " place, which even the Romans venerated afar « off/5
In the following passage, the quotation is not always so direct as in the last example : but the marks of imitation are unquestionable ; the proba ble sources of imitation are numerous; the con tinuity of the parallelism is maintained unbroken ; and the style, both of thought and of expression, is remarkable alike for elegance, animation, and profundity :
Oi ai 6So< vouv Kugiow ;
xcti avTa7ro5odxj<T£Ta< avrcu j
i a
118 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VII.
O the depth of the riches, and the wisdom, and the
knowledge of God ! How inscrutable are his judgments ; And untraceable his ways ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? Or who hath been his counsellor ? Or who hath first given unto him,
And it shall be repaid him again ?
Rom. xi. 33—35,
It is probable, that, while composing this noble epiphonema, the apostle had the following passages present in his recollection :
ra xiAoiTa. POM cacrsi aouo"<ro£
Thy righteousness is like the highest mountains ;
Thy judgments are as a great abyss.
Psalm xxxvi. 6.
75
>j ei$ TO. scr^ara a.<pixou a 6 ougctvo$, xoti a Se TOOV sv «8ow, T»
Wilt thou discover the footstep of Jehovah ?
Or hast thou arrived at the end of the doings of the
Almighty ?
High [as] the heaven, and what wilt thou do ? Deeper than the things in hell, what hast thou known ?
Job) xi. 7, 8.
TOV OTOiouVTa jtAsyaa xai
re xoti e«i(na, cuv oux
Who doeth great and untraceable things ; Glorious also, and excellent, of which there is no number.
Job, v. 9.
J<r%ugO£ xuTouuxrsi sv ivvi UVTOV, yotg £f< X«
SECT. VII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 119
T/£ $s eg- iv 6 e^sT/x^aov O.VTOV TO. egya, ',
>j rif 6 SITTWV S7rga%ev otiixot j
Behold the strong one will prevail in his strength ; For who is against him a potentate ? And who is there that shall scrutinize his works ? Or who shall say that he hath done injustice ?
Job, xxxvi. 22, 23.
on TJJ ep] sv VTTog-Yj^an Kvgiw ', xai £j§= TOV Aoyov ayrou ; TJJ svwTicraro^ xat ^xoucrsv ^
For who hath stood in the council-chamber of Jehovah ?
And hath seen his word ?
And hath listened, and hath heard ?
Jeremiah, xxiii. 18.
vouv KU^JOU \
xcti rig <ru[A£ov\o$ avTOV sysveTOy b; <rvfj,£i§ot<ret avrov 5 TWO. o-vvs^ouXsvo-aTOy xa* cruve£j£acr£V
T<C
Who hath known the mind of Jehovah ?
And who hath been his counsellor, that will instruct
him ? Or with whom hath he taken counsel, that hath instructed
him ?
Or the way of understanding who hath shown him ? Or who hath first given unto him, And it shall be repaid him ?
Isaiah, xl. 13 — 15.
The last couplet, having no equivalent in the He brew, or in any other of the versions ; and not appearing in the Vatican, or Complutensian text of the LXX, was probably introduced in the mar gin, from Romans, xi. 35. as a gloss, and after*
i 4
120 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VII.
wards brought into the text of Isaiah, by the Alexandrine copyist :
s ovv
But since thou art just, what wilt thou give him ? Or what will he take from thy hand ?
y xxiii. 18.
One other passage shall close this body of citations :
Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him ? All under heaven is mine.
Job, xli. 2.
In the Sept. the rendering is. very different : the rendering of the Vulgate is highly approved by Schultens, who traces S. Paul to this passage :
Quis ante dedit mihi, ut refundam ?
Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay ?
Notwithstanding the grandeur of the sentiment, the texture of Romans, xi. 33 — 35. is beautifully, though by no means palpably artificial. The first line proposes the subject :
O the depth of the riches, and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God !
The notion of depth, as a quality attributed alike to God's riches, and wisdom, and knowledge, is first expanded in the next couplet:
How inscrutable are his judgments ; And untraceable his ways !
Riches, wisdom, and knowledge, are then, in a fine epanodos, enlarged upon in the inverted order ; first, knowledge :
For who hath known the mind of the Lord ?
SECT. VII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
secondly, wisdom :
Or who hath been his counsellor ?
thirdly, riches :
Or who hath first given unto him, And it shall be repaid him again?
Let, now, the most skilfully-executed cento from the heathen classics be compared with this finished scriptural mosaic of S. Paul : the former, however imposing at the first view, will, on closer inspection, infallibly betray its patch-work jointing, and incongruous materials ; while the latter, like the beauties of creation, not only bears the micro scopic glance, but, the more minutely it is exa mined, the more fully its exquisite organization is disclosed. The Fathers, also, often quote and com bine Scripture : let their complex quotations be contrasted with those of the apostle ; the result may be readily anticipated.
One other example of the same kind :
effxogTna'sv, efiwxs TOI$ Trevrjcnv* Y) Sixajocruvyj otvrov psvsi 515 TOV
6 %£ £7ri%U)gY)yCtiV CTTTc^jtXa T
KOH otgrov si$ figoxrw
* I have here followed the readings which best agree with the context, and best bring out the parallelism. They are sup ported by several MSS., Versions, and Fathers ; approved by Mill ; by Bengel, 2d edit, and Gnomon ; and received into the text of Griesbach.
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VII.
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor ;
His righteousness abideth for ever :
Now He, who. abundantly supplieth seed to the sower,
And bread for food ;
Will supply and multiply your seed sown ; And will increase the produce of your righteousness.
2 Cor. ix. 9, 10.
Of this passage, the following are the component members :
erxogvurev, BROOKS TOI;
Y! 8ocaiO(ruv>3 CWTOV psvsi si$ TOV aiMva. rov aiawoc.
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever and ever.
Psalm cxii. 9.
Koii agrov sic
And may give seed to the sower ; And bread for food.
Isaiah, Iv. 10.
xoti 7rYvv=i (re UOJO£ =0£ crow
And Jehovah thy God will multiply thee in good things.
Deut. xxviii. 11.
si; TO £\EIV
Until there come unto you the produce of righteousness.
Hosea, x. 12.
In the passage of the cxiith Psalm, the entire of the verse, partially cited, forms a triplet, of which the following is the third line :
TO Ksga; oiUTOU uv/^cocrsTaj sv
His horn shall be exalted with honour :
this line the apostle omitted : perhaps because it might have been apt to excite notions of a tern-
SECT. VII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
poral recompense ; but yet more, probably, because it did not harmonise with the agricultural meta phor, previously introduced in the sixth verse, and immediately to be resumed in the succeeding quatrain. The beauty of that alternate quatrain it is scarcely necessary to indicate to any atten tive reader. There is a fine ascending gradation in the terms of it : eTr^w^ywv, " who abundantly supplieth," is a strong expression ; but, in the pa rallel line, it is advanced upon by the two verbs, xwgw"!, and irtoi$wsi9 " will supply and multiply :" again, o-^e^a is the " seed for sowing ; " "the seed already sown -."while, instead of Pguwv, " bread for food," the £o<ns «ya3>j of the se cond line, we have, in the fourth line, a Sw^a rsAsjov *, namely, yev^ar* TYIS &ixaioo-uv>j$, " the pro duce of righteousness ;" that BREAD OF LIFE,
WHICH ENDURETH FOR EVER.
* Respecting the distinction between Soo-t^ a<ya£fy, and
y, somewhat will hereafter be said, when I come to treat of the climax. See Section XV.
SECTION VIII.
WE proceed now to examine quotations mingled with original matter : when one or more passages, derived from the Hebrew Scriptures, are so con nected and blended with original writing, that the compound forms one homogeneous whole ; the sententious parallelism equally pervading all the component members, whether original or derived.
TO
ouv STnxaAscrovTaj £<$• ov OUK ev xoutrav
sav
coc wgouoi o tzrof^ rcov
TCWV gyayy^Ai^Ojutevwy ra aya^a J
For whosoever will call on the name of the Lord, shall
be saved : But how shall they call on him, in whom they have
not believed ? And how shall they believe in him, of whom they have
not heard ?
And how shall they hear without a preacher ? And how shall they preach, if they be not sent ?
As it is written : How beautiful the feet of those who bring good tidings
of peace ! Who bring good tidings, of good things !
Rom. x. 13—18.
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
Of this passage, the first line is literally taken from the Sept. Vers. of Joel, ii. 32.
The next quatrain is original ; and it affords an exact, though somewhat peculiar, specimen of pa rallelism, its composition nearly resembling that of the logical sorites. Instances of similar construc tion abound in the writings of S. Paul : they occur also in the prophetic writings ; for example :
I will hear the heavens ;
And they shall hear the earth ;
And the earth shall hear the corn, and wine, and oil ;
And they shall hear Jesreel.
Hosca, iii. 21, 22.
That which the palmer-worm hath left, hath the locust
eaten ; And that which the locust hath left, hath the canker-worm
oaten ; And that which the canker-worm hath left, hath the
Cciterpillar eaten.
Joel, i. 4f.
Further specimens of this manner, I propose to give in Section XIX.
The last couplet is from Isaiah, Iii. 7., the Sep- tuagint rendering of which being confused and inaccurate, Bishop Lowth's translation may be given, only with the parallelisms divided into shorter lines :
How beautiful on the mountains The feet of the joyful messenger ;
Of him that announceth peace ! Of the joyful messenger of good tidings;
Of him that announceth salvation !
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII.
From this exquisite passage, S. Paul selected so much as it answered his purpose to quote ; and, in so selecting, he was careful to maintain the parallelism uninjured: an abridgment of the same kind, conducted with like caution, may be seen in S. Matt. xxL 5., compared with Zechariah, ix. 9. Ernesti says, that, by a very common expres sion, "the feet of the messengers" are put for " the messengers themselves." The fact I do not mean entirely to question ; though confident that something more is conveyed, and was intended to be conveyed, by the figure, than could be con veyed by that unfigurative expression, which Er nesti would account equivalent, and, as it seems, would prefer. Were it said, " How beautiful the messengers," &c., the ideas excited would be those only consequent on the messengers' arrival ; but when it is said, " How beautiful the feet of the messengers," &c., the idea is excited of their progress towards us : we admire them yet afar off ; our imagination kindles at the prospect of good things to come ; our feeling partakes of that FAITH, which is " the substantiation of things hoped for; the conviction of things unseen." That, surely, is a wretched style of criticism, which would forcibly withdraw our attention from the animated imagery of Holy Scripture, not only without any gain, but with unspeakable loss, to the sense, no less than the spirit, of the Sacred Writings. I shall add Ernesti's own words, which are so offensively coarse, that I do not choose to render them into English. That may possibly be thought a good
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 127
witticism in the lecture-room of a foreign uni versity, which, in these countries, would not be tolerated by any society claiming to be decently respectable. " Quam jucundi sunt nuncii pacis : non pedes nunciorum ; qui suaves esse non solent." ! ! ! ERNESTI Diss. de Vestig. Ling. Hebr. in Ling. Grace.
v
tvapa. Kvpiov sysvsTO
x«j sf i ^au/xafy) sv o<pdaA//,oj£ r
Sia TOUTO Asyco vpiv on ap§Yj(T£Ta.i atp' v[j,wv r; /SairjAs/a TOV xoti t)o§Yl<reTa.i sSvsi VTOIOUVTI TOU$ xap7r xai o GTso'wv sni TOV Ai-^ov TOUTOV,
6^' 0V S' CtV -STfCDJ, Xw.p,Yj(7Sl OtUTOV.
The stone which the builders rejected ; The same is become the head of the corner : From the Lord hath this proceeded ; And it is marvellous in our eyes ;
Wherefore I say unto you :
That from you shall be taken away the kingdom of God ; And it shall be given to a nation producing the fruits
thereof: And he who falleth upon this stone, shall be sorely
bruised ; .But upon whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to
powder.
S. Matt. xxi. 42—44.
The first four lines are literally taken from the Septuag. Vers. of Psalm cxviii. 22, 23. ; the last four are original. Is not the parallelism more striking, in the latter portion, than in the former?
M. Wasseribergh, in his " Dissertation respect ing the Trajections often necessary in the New Testament," prefixed to the second volume of his
128 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII.
recent edition of the learned Valckenaer's Select " Schola?" on the New Testament, proposes a trans position of the forty-third and forty- fourth verses, in terms sufficiently dictatorial and objurgatory, to startle any person of weak nerves, who may not happen to agree with him. His expressions could not well be rendered into English current among the class of readers for whom these pages are in tended : how far he has maintained the established courtesies of scholarship, scholars may determine. " Quis natura adeo HEBES est, aut OBTUSUS, ut " nexum hand observet, satis profecto manifesto m, " inter §§ 42 et 44, aut transitum non notet perquam " idoneum, a § 43 ad 45? Quare, qui semel ista " legerit, sic disposita, fastidiat ille oportet invete- " ratam in sacro historico confusionem." p. 31.
At whatever risk of attaching to myself the mild epithets of M. Wassenbergh, I cannot bow to his decision : and I trust there are multitudes in the Anglican Church, who, on this, and all similar oc casions, will both disapprove, and discountenance, such arbitrary and licentious trqjections, unsanc- tioned, as they are, by any one of the collated MSS., Versions, or Fathers. In the present instance, the alteration is not only needless, but would be inju rious to the meaning of the passage, I grant, indeed, the connection between verses 42 and 44 ; but I maintain, that the suspension of the sense occasioned by the intermediation of verse 43, is an excellence and beauty. That which M. Wassenbergh, in his " fastidiousness," is pleased to despise as " inveterate confusion," is, in truth,
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
no more than a fine epanodos ; the first couplet of this example being parallel with the fourth, and the second with the third ; and due promin ence being thus given to the great HEAD -STONE OF THE CORNER, by placing it first, and last. It may be further observed, that, as the passage stands, there is a just, and most orderly gradation ; which, by M. Wassenbergh's conjectural deterior ation, would be totally destroyed : in the conclud ing quatrain, a two-fold punishment is denounced against Messiah's enemies : in the first couplet, a negative punishment, according with what theolo gians call the pain of loss :
From you shall be taken away the kingdom of God ; And it shall be given to a nation producing the fruits thereof:
in the second couplet, a positive punishment, in cluding the most grievous pains of sense, and .end ing with irretrievable destruction :
And he who falleth upon this stone, shall be sorely
bruised ; But upon whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him- to
powder.
Transpose these couplets according to the scheme of M. Wassenbergh, and, instead of a terrific climax, we shall have a ludicrous bathos ; not merely a rhetorical blemish, but a practical ab surdity : for, according to the reformed distribu tion, those who had been thus threatened with instant and utter extermination, are, by way of heightening, assured, that they shall lose a king dom ; first, they shall be " ground to powder,"
ISO SACRED LITERATURE. JJSECT. VIII.
then, " the kingdom shall be taken away from " them." This is too modern, to be termed " in- " veterate ;" but, if it be not " confusion," I have yet to learn the meaning of that word.
But this is not the whole : as the passage stands, the former couplet predicts merely the overthrow of the Jewish Church and polity, together with the substitution and adoption of the Christian Church and polity : but the latter couplet has an ampler prophetic reach ; in its ultimate meaning, it is yet unfulfilled ; it extends to Messiah's triumph over his enemies, in the last times : and, therefore, this clause was, with admirable propriety, reserved for the close of this most awful warning.
The allusion of the two concluding lines has been well explained by Lightfoot, in loc., and by Pere Lamy, Appar. Bibl. B. I. ch. xii. p. 215., from the manner in which the punishment of stoning to death was sometimes inflicted among the Jews. The criminal was thrown headlong from an eminence or pillar, in such a manner as to dash him against some great stone ; if this failed to dispatchhi m, they threw another great stone upon him, thereby to crush him to pieces. The learned and excellent Dr. Doddridge, not sufficiently adverting to the circumstance, that the latter mode was adopted only after the former mode had failed, that it was a dernier ressort, and always fatal, — rejects the illus tration ; professing his inability to see, that one of those inflictions was at all more dreadful than the other. The difference is, that by the former the criminal might, by the latter he must, be killed.
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 131
jitrj vojaj(njre on vjASov /SaAeiv sigYivyv ETTI T>]V ovx »jA$ov jSaAsiv sigYivYjv, aAAa ^a^oiioav : * avSgooTrov XUTOI TOU
>2£ TTSV$S()OI$
rou av^coTroy OIKHXXOI awrou r 6 <p»AaJV Trarc^a rj
oux sg-j jtto xaj 6 <p»Awv ujov >j Suyarega U
xai ; ov a^oavrt rov fay^ov ayroy jcai axoAoy-e* 07n<rcti
oyx s$-< /xoy aj<o^ : 6 sy^a;v TVJV ^y^vjv ayroy,
ctTToXs&si avTyv : KOU o a7roAs(r#£ rvjv 4/y%>;v ayroy, Ivsxev
Think not that I am come to send peace upon the earth ;
I am come not to send peace, but a sword :
For I am come to set at variance a man, against his
father ;
And the daughter, against her mother ; And the daughter-in-law, against the mother-in-law ; And a man's enemies, shall be they of his own family : He who loveth father or mother more than me,
Is not worthy of me : And he who loveth son or daughter more than me,
Is not worthy of me : And he who doth not take his cross, and follow after me,
Is not worthy of me : He that findeth his life,
Shall lose it : And he that loseth his life, for my sake,
Shall find it.
S. Matt. x. 34—39.
Of this passage, lines 3 — 6, are, with slight alter ation, taken from the Sept. Vers. of Micah, vii. 6. The remaining twelve lines are original : and it is
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132 SACRED LITERATURE, £sECT. VIII.
manifest, that the parallelism equally pervades the original, and the citation : the passage of Micah stands thus :
£7ravar>)0"£T«' ^ TIJV I T>JV TrevQsga. aurvjj*
SV TM OJXCO OiVTOV.
For the son shall dishonour the father ;
The daughter shall rise up against her mother :
The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ;
All the foes of a man shall be those dwelling in his house.
The Bishop of Calcutta brings strong reasons, why, in the last line, we should read Travrof, instead ofVavrs£.: an emendation, which, if allowable, would account for the insertion of the article before *v$pcoirw9 in S. Matthew ; implying " every man/' or " man generally." — Doctrine of the Greek Article, p. 205—
I shall close this section with an example from Acts, iv.
1. Ag(T7roTa cru 6 ©
6 7roj>)<ra£ TOV ovgavov, xca T>JV yyjv, xai T»JV SaAacro-av, x«i Travra ra sv
2. Ivari e<p£ua£av e-S'vyj^
xai Aaoi s/xsA^rvjcrav xsva, Tra^ej-yjcrav oi '
xai ol a^ovrej (ruvy3p(r]a-av STH TO awro, xara TOU Kvgiou, xat xara TOU %^*ro
* In this line, after Bengel and Griesbach, and on the autho rity of MSS., Vers., Fathers, &c. I have dropt rov from between $ȣ<$ and
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 133
3.
STTI TOV ayiov Trcx.it) OL <roi) Irjtrouv, 6i/
<rvv £ve<ri xoti
4. xaj ra vuv, Kypje, ends ETTI TCH$ ot7rsih.ci$ KQU Soj TOIJ SouAo^ croy, [ASTO. Trappvjcriaj Tracryjj AaAe/v TOV Aoyov <rou* sv TO; TVJV %£iga o"ou e xat re^>ara
1. O Lord, thou art the God,
Who didst make heaven and earth ;
And the sea, and all things that are in them ;
Who, by the mouth of thy servant David, didst say :
2. " Why did the heathen rage,
" And the peoples imagine vain things, " The kings of the earth stand up,
" And the rulers combine together,
" Against the Lord, and against his anointed ?"
3. For, of a truth, there have combined,
Against thine holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
Both Herod, and Pontius Pilate,
WTith the heathen, and the peoples of Israel,
To do whatsoever things thy hand,
And thy counsel predetermined to be done.
4. And now, Lord, look down upon their threatenings, And give unto thy servants,
With all boldness to speak thy word :
* After aAvj0Eia$, Lightfoot and Hammond approve, and Ben- gel and Griesbach introduce into the text, the Var. read, ev TTJ •TroXet ravr-i}. Those words I have not admitted : 1. because they encumber the parallelism ; 2. because they have no equi valent in the prophecy ; 3. because they have all the appear ance of a marginal gloss.
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134 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII.
While thou art stretching forth thine hand for healing. And while signs and wonders are performed. Through the name of thine holy child Jesus.
This noble supplicatory hymn, poured forth at once by the whole Christian people, under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, is worthy of that inspiration from whence it flowed. No one part of it can be deemed inferior to another ; the same sacred vein of poetry animates the whole : and yet, amidst all this poetic fervour, we may dis cern much technical nicety of construction.
The entire of the third stanza is an exact and luminous commentary on the prophetical quotation which forms the second stanza. Commencing with the illative particle yag, it leads us to understand a short previous sentence ; which, according to an elegant usage in the Greek language *, is not ver bally expressed, somewhat to the following effect : " This prophecy is now fulfilled ; FOR, of a truth," &c. We are thus prepared to expect, in what follows, a full equivalent for every part of the preceding prophecy ; nor is our expectation dis appointed ; no topic of the citation is omitted.
The combination is first re-asserted as fulfilled : For, of a truth, there have combined.
The rebellious character of that combination is then declared, together with the nature and office of that kingly potentate, against whom it was formed :
* Respecting this usage, see Dr. Clarke's Homer, Index, voce yap, with the notes there referred to : Leisner, ap. Bos. Ellips. Graec. page 506. edit. Oxon. 1813; and Hoogeveen, Doctrina Particulorum, torn. i. p. 189. edit. 4to. 1769.
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 135
Against thine holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed.
In the next couplet, the heathen, the peoples, the kings of the earth, and the rulers, that is, all the rebellious personages of the second psalm, are brought forward, as fulfilling whatsoever it was pre-appointed they should do ; but in a diversified order :
Both Herod, and Pontius Pilate ;
With the heathen, and the peoples of Israel :
This is an epanodos : " Herod with the peoples of Israel ; Pontius Pilate, with the heathen :" Herod, the Jewish " ruler," or tetrarch, is men tioned, Jirst9 and the peoples of Israel are men tioned last, to mark the greater forwardness, and more grievous criminality, of the Jews ; he "came " unto his own, and his own received him not :" Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, representa tive of "the kings of the earth," with the heathen under his control, as subordinate actors, are placed in the centre.
The equivalent terms, in the prophecy, and in the declaration of its fulfilment, may be thus ex hibited :
Psalm ii. Acts, iv.
The rulers. Herod.
The kings of the earth. Pontius Pilate.
The heathen. The heathen.
The peoples. The peoples of Israel.
The Lord (Jehovah). Thine holy child Jesus.
The Lord's anointed. Whom thou hast anointed.
To the last two pair of parallel terms, I would now bespeak particular attention. If these two
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136 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII«
columns be justly drawn up, it would appear, that the HOLY CHILD JESUS of the Acts, is identified with the JEHOVAH of the second psalm. Now, that they are justly drawn up, may, I trust, be satisfac torily proved. In the first place, it is an allowed principle of Hebrew poetry, that, in cognate pa rallel lines, the artifice and propriety chiefly consist in the maintenance of an exact relative proportion between the respective parallel terms of those lines ; suppose, for example, the lines to be bi- membral, and the parallelism to be, not inverse, or epanodostic, but direct ; then, as the first term of the first line, is to the first term of the second line, so, by inevitable consequence, must the second term of the first line, be to the second term of the second, and vice versa. Let this principle, now, be applied to the case before us : the two following lines manifestly, and designedly, form a direct parallel couplet of the bi-membral kind :
TOV ugiOV, KOil KdTlX. TOD p£P<fOU UVTOV
TOV ayiov Trade*. o~ov lyvovv, ov
Against the Lord, and against his anointed;
Against thine holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed :
but here, the second term of the first line, TOV x$i?ov avTov, " his anointed," is clearly identical with the second term of the second line, ov sx§i<rots : and so, therefore, by undeniable consequence,- the first term of the first line, TOV Kvgiov, " the Lord," must be identical with the first term of the second line, TOV ayiov natix vov Ivjo-ow, " thine holy child Jesus ;" that is, the HOLY CHILD JESUS of the Acts, must
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 137
be the same with the JEHOVAH of the second psalm.
But this conclusion will gain additional strength by a more extended examination of the context. Let us, then, appeal to the other parallel lines of the quoted psalm, and of its annexed interpreta tion, or, what amounts to the same thing, let us refer to the tabular exhibition of those parallelisms given in the above two columns. Here are six pairs of terms, five of which are studiously and emphatically identified with each other : now, it is utterly incredible, that, in composition so nicely balanced, and, in five parts out of six, so obviously conformed to the laws of Hebrew parallelism, those laws should be infringed in the remaining sixth part ; that is, that, when five pairs of terms are respectively identical, the sixth pair should be diverse.
Thus far we have been viewing these lines almost abstractedly from their subject-matter, and as we might view a question of mathematical pro portion. But the incredibility of the supposed departure from the laws of parallelism will be in finitely increased, when we consider what the ONLY term is, in the prophetical citation, which, by this departure, would be left without equivalent, in the interpretative stanza : it is a term, which, it were little short of blasphemous to say, could, through any forgetfulness or oscitancy, have been for a moment lost sight ofi either by the inspired utterers of this magnificent hymn, or by the inspired pen man who recorded their expressions : — no less a
138 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII.
term, than the incommunicable name of the su preme JEHOVAH. This name is the key-stone, at once, of their argument and their prayer. Leave it out here, that is, deprive it of a just equivalent, and their prayer will be disrespectful, and their interpretation of the prophecy will halt in its most leading member. But the only possible equiva lent, the only unappropriated words of the four interpretative lines, are those very words, which, by an independent argument, we have already shown to be the correlatives of that name; the words, TOV ayjov TTcttiot crou I»j<rouv, thine holy child Jesus : and, from these united considerations, we again reach our former conclusion, that the JESUS of the New Testament is the JEHOVAH of the Old.
The importance of this subject will justify the following additional observations :
1. If the Supreme Godhead of our Lord Jesus Christ be not a fact, and if it was not meant to be asserted in the Sacred Text, all ambiguity might have been avoided, and an unexceptionable cor relative for TOU Kugiow, might have been provided, by the bare insertion of three words, thus :
£7TI <TS KOLl S7T1 TOV ajOV TTCloi (TOV
AGAINST THEE, AND against thine holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed.
STTJ ere, answering to xara TOU Kugtov, and £7n TOV ayiov
Trctfia. xrx, answering to K&TOL TOV xgis-ou avTov : thus, and thus only, on the supposition of our Lord's non- divinity, could effectual provision have been made for, at once, completing the parallelism, and avoid-
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 139
ing the idolatrous ascription of godhead to a crea ture ; and, on the same supposition, to have inserted these, or equivalent words, must have been the bounden duty of the authors of this hymn. Their omitting, therefore, to insert them, taken along with the wording of the context, is a proof, that they understood the holy child Jesus to be
VERY GOD OF VERY GOD.
2. On a superficial view of the passage which we have been examining, an objection might possibly be made against the anoint er and the anointed being the same ; against God's being his own holy child, and anointing himself. A sufficient reply may be drawn from the language of the forty-fifth psalm ; in which we read the following address to the Su preme Being :
Thy throne, O God, endureth for ever :
and soon after, without any change of persons, or the least intimation that any other being is ad dressed, we find these words :
Wherefore God hath anointed thee ;
Thy God, with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
These passages, and those under consideration in the Acts and second psalm, afford mutual light and support to each other ; they must stand or fall together : now, with respect to the forty-fifth psalm, reference needs only be made to Bishop Horsley's Sermons, for a masterly and most satis factory discussion of the whole context. One short passage I cannot forbear extracting : "It is
140 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII*
" manifest, that these things can be said only of " that person, in whom the godhead and the " manhood are united ; in whom, the human na- " ture is the subject of the unction, and the ele- " vation to the mediatorial kingdom is the reward " of the man Christ Jesus : for Christ, being in " his divine nature equal with the Father, is in- " capable of any exaltation. Thus, the unction " with the oil of gladness, and the elevation above " his fellows, characterise the manhood ; and the " perpetual stability of the throne, and the unsul- " lied justice of the government, declare the god- " head.5' Horsley, Sermon vii. p. iiy. 2d edi tion. A similar plan of exposition might be safely, and successfully, applied to these passages of Acts iv. and Psalm ii. Let but the doctrine of the Theanthrope, the GOD-MAN, be carefully kept in view, and all such objections as the present must vanish into thin air.
And now, to proceed with the remainder of this supplicatory hymn. The last two lines of the third stanza form the connecting link between that stanza and the fourth :
To do whatsoever things thy hand,
And thy counsel pre-determined to be done :
" thy hand," that is, thine over-ruling power ; " thy counsel," that is, thy pre-disposing wisdom. These two topics give the subject of the next stanza ; in which, by an epanodos, they are taken up in the inverted order. First, an appeal is made to the wisdom or " counsel" of God :
SECT. VIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
And now, Lord, look down upon their threatenings,
And give unto thy servants,
With all boldness to speak thy word :
that is, " And, as thy wise counsel pre-determined, " that, through the confederacy of Jews and Gen- " tiles, of kings and rulers, Christ should suffer ; " so, let the same wise counsel be now made conspi- " cuous, in the undaunted preaching of Christ " crucified."
Next, the " hand," or power of God, is brought forward :
While thou art stretching forth thy hand for healing ; And while signs and wonders are performed, Through the name of thy holy child Jesus :
that is, " What is now taking place, is to us thy " servants an argument of confidence : thy hand " was lately raised, to give that power to Christ's " enemies, which, without thy permission, they " could not have attained : the same hand is now " miraculously raised to heal diseases, and to work " wonders, through the name of Jesus : we accept " the blessed indication ; and, trusting in thy " mighty power, we will go forth, to proclaim the " glories of that name, which we now behold thus " signally efficacious."
The observations just made upon the last stanza may, perhaps, in some degree, contribute to set aside the transposition proposed by Limborch, and adopted by Dr. Markland ; who would read thus :
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. VIII.
For, of a truth, there have combined,
Against thine holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed
To do whatsoever things thy hand
And thy counsel predetermined to be done,
Both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, &c.
Or else :
For, of a truth, there have combined,
Both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
With the heathen, and the peoples of Israel,
Against thine holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed,
To do whatsoever things, &c.
This totally unauthorised innovation has been ably controverted, by Dr. Doddridge, Family Expo sitor ; by Dr. H. Owen, ap. Bowyer's Conj. ; and by Valckenaer, Schol. in loc.
I shall only add, that, between this hymn, and the prayer of Hezekiah, Isaiah, xxxvii. 16—20. (which Bishop Lowth ought to have distributed in the poetical form) there is a striking resemblance.
143
SECTION IX.
I HAVE now sufficiently exemplified the mariner, in which the writers of the New Testament were accustomed to cite, to abridge, to amplify, and to combine, passages from the poetical parts of the Old Testament ; and frequently to annex, or in termingle with their citations, parallelisms, by no means less perfect, of their own original com position, Henceforward, I shall confine myself to parallelisms purely original ; commencing with paraller-couplets and triplets ; examples of which, with occasional annotations, will form the present section.
1. In the first place, then, I shall give a few plain specimens of parallel couplets :
jaeyaAuvsj T\ 4>up£>) jaou rov Kugiov
Kon yyoiXXioia-e, TO tvvsvpot pov STTI TW 0sco rco <rctiTygi pou.
My soul doth magnify the Lord ;
And my spirit hath exulted in God my Saviour.
S. Luke, i. 46, 47.
To him that asketh thee, give ;
And him that would borrow from thee, turn not away.
S. Matt. v. 42.
sv co yag xa< sv eo
144 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ; And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
S. Matt. vii. 2.
In the last line, Griesbach reads ^erg^a-eTon in stead of aynjKSTg)].&»j<reTai. The alteration is sanc tioned by seven uncial MSS. of Griesb., by two of Matthai, by several of the smaller character, and by many Versions and Fathers. It is also de manded by the parallelism : xgi/xa-n, xgivsre, xgi^o-eo-^e, in the first line, require, in order to preserve the balance of the periods, ^ergco, pergsire, psr ^5*10-57 on, in the second line.
TTavri $s & eSodrj t&oXV -sroXu >'n&»(reTaj Tza CUVTOV
Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be
required ; And to whom they have committed much, of him will
they demand the more.
S. Luke., xii. 48.
6 o"7T£ig
xcti o <T7T£igwv BTT tvXoyioLC) STT' suAoyi#£ KOU Ssgursi*
He who soweth sparingly, sparingly also shall reap ; And he who soweth bountifully, bountifully also shall reap.
2 Cor. ix. 6.
6 (TTreigoov si; ryv <rotgxa exuTOU, sx rrjj croigKO$ §sgi<rei ySogatv xoti 6 (rireigcov £15 TO vrvsupoi, sx TOV vrvsupotTOs §£gi
i<rei
He who soweth to his flesh, of the flesh shall reap
corruption ; And he who soweth to the spirit, of the spirit shall reap
life eternal.
Gal vi. 8.
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 145
ex TOU ayaSoy Sycravgov, ex^xXXei ayada- sx TOU
The good man, from the good treasure, bringeth forth
good things ; And the evil man, from the evil treasure, bringeth forth
evil things.
S. Matt. xii. 35.
In the received text, the reading is ex TOU Syravgov TYIS xag$ia$. The last two words, on the authority of numerous and ancient MSS., Versions, and Fathers, have been very properly rejected by Bengel, Griesbach, Matthai, Dr. Campbell, &c. They are, in fact, altogether needless, being far more elegantly supplied from the T^ xotghots of the preceding verse : and, if inserted in the first line of this couplet, their insertion would, in order to maintain the parallelism, be necessary in the second line also ; an insertion sanctioned by very few MSS., and those of little value. Jn the parallel place of S. Luke, ch. vi. ver. 45., the words T^ xctghas avTou, are, of necessity, inserted ; because that evangelist, by a transposition with him not unusual, has postponed the clause ex yc*.% TOU
vregi<7(rei>[j,ciiTO$ THJJ xafiia$, which, in S. Matthew, is
preparatory to this couplet. S. Luke, it will be observed, introduces the additional words into both lines, so as to maintain the equipoise :
ex TOD ayaou --yjcrau^oi; T>]£ xagix$ avrov, 'srgoipegsi TO ayaSov xai 6 vrovygos on&gaKrdf, ex rov -srovrj^ou $Yi<ravgou T^g xagfiiot; trgcxfiegei TO
L
146" SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
The received text, and even the text of Griesbach, in S. Matt. xii. 35., read T« aya$* with the article, and wovyga, without it. This difference has occa sioned what Bp. Middleton justly calls " a whim- " sical distinction " of Casaubon ; rendered yet more whimsical by Ilaphel. The Bishop is of opinion that " either both ayaSc*. and *rov>jga had the " article, or both were without it" The latter branch of the alternative is more probably the right one, both from the doctrine of the Greek article, and from the preponderance in its favour of the best, as well as the most numerous MSS. Either of these readings would preserve the parallelism of members. The present is one of those instances, in which Griesbach not only, after his usual man ner, neglects both the grammatical construction, and the balance of periods, but decides against a great mass of external evidence : no less than twenty-seven MSS. of Wetstein, ten of Birch, in cluding Vatic. 1209, and fifteen of Matthai, among which are several of his best, omit ra before See Bp. Middleton, Doctrine of Gr. Article, p.
OU TO SKTSWOfJl'SVOV £1$ TO $"Q[J,0<,} XQIVOI TOV #v
TO exTrogsvopevov ex TOD zopaTog, TOUTO xoivoi TOV av-
Not that which cometh into the mouth, defileth the man ; But that which goeth forth from the mouth, this defileth the man.
S. Matt. xv. 11.
o Td
of Se T« auAa OTaJavref, s^ ava$-acriv
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 14<7
They who have produced good things, unto the resurrec
tion of life; But they who have practised evil things, unto the resur
rection of condemnation.
S. John, v. 29.
The distinctness of the two participles, and isrgoigatvTss, I have endeavoured to preserve, by rendering the former, " who have produced," the latter, " who have practised.*' I am well aware, that these terms are promiscuously employed, in several parts of the New Testament : but, in this passage, I conceive they are antithetically used; •BToi>j<ravTs$ being applied to good works, and vrgufavTss to evil: a conjecture strengthened by a similar passage of the same writer :
<p«uAa -sr£a<r<r«JV, jM.i<rei TO $00$ rrjv aArjdeiav, eg%eToti trrgo; TO
For every one who practiseth evil things, hateth the
light ; But he who doeth (or produceth] the truth, cometh to the
light.
S. John, iii. 20, 21.
S. John, it is to be observed, is the only sacred writer with whom we are here immediately con cerned ; it is respecting his acceptation of the terms, that we are alone to form our opinion : now, he uses the verb ^ao-o-co, only in these two cases ; and his adoption of a word probably not familiar ta him, in two antithetical passages exclusively, cannot well be accounted for, but on the supposition, that he wished to give the antithesis all the force in his power : had not this been his intention, the verb
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148 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
might have been repeated ; and, where he had no antithesis in view, he actually does employ it in the
bad Sense : We read, 6 oro*«n/ ryv apotgnav, KOLI Tyv avojuuav
«roisr " He who committeth sin, committeth also " a breach of the law." 1 John, iii. 4. Both Lampe and Bengel have observed, in the two pas sages of S. John's gospel, the antithetical force of '<&oiew, and OT^O-O-CW. The precise import of this anti thesis, I cannot presume to determine. It may not, however, be amiss to throw out for consider ation, that TXQISW frequently signifies "to produce " fruit;" and that S. Paul contrasts the fruit of light, with the unfruitful works of darkness. See Ephes. v. 9. 11.; with the various reading, ($00™$ for wygu- paroi) which is the proper reading, of the former verse.
xau%a(rS«; §£ 6 a$s\<po$ 6 TctTtsivo^ sv TW vtyei aurou- 6 §g «rXDt;<rW£, sv rrj T«7rsivo;<rsi aurou.
Let the lowly brother, rejoice in his exaltation ; But the rich, in his humiliation.
S. James, i. 9, 10.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners ;
And purify your hearts, ye double-minded.
S. James, iv. 8.
xa» swxsv r; aacrcra TOU$ sv
xcti 6 ^avaroj xui 6 aSyjg stiwKotv TOV$ sv ctvroi$ vsxgov$.
And the Sea gave up the dead that were in it ,• And Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.
Revel xx. 13.
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 149
2. The next examples to be adduced, are exam ples of the triplet ; that is, of three connected and correspondent lines, at least constructively parallel with each other ; and forming, within themselves, a distinct sentence, or significant part of a sen tence :
cti xXw7rexe$ tpcoAeouf s^ouov
Xai Ta 'CTSTSlVOi TOU QUpCtVOU XO(.TOiO~XYlVCtiG'ei$'
o Ss uiO£ TOU av-SpcoTToy ovx esi -srou T»JV xstpa
The foxes have dens ;
And the birds of the air have nests ;
But the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
£ Matt. viii. 20.
TO 5vpOV X#AOV, KOU TOV XCtpTTOV OiVTOV XOt\QV°
TO $sv$pov craTrpov, KOH TOV xoipTrov &.VTOU votTrpov' ex, yap TOV xoipnou, TO %sv$pov yivwvxeToti.
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good ; Or the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt ; For, from the fruit, the tree is known.
S. Matt. xii. S3.
o~oi Tag xAs»£ r>jf fiaviXeiag TCUV ovpavwv* xai b sav ovjcn^ em T^ yy$, e$-a,i 5e5?jxsvov ev TQI$ ovpavoig' xai 6 eav Aucr>)$ em T»J£ y>]^, e?ai XeXvpsvov ev TOI$ ovgavoi;;
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven ; And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound
in heaven; And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed
in heaven.
S, Matt. xvi. 19.
eyeipai o
xai avct$-a ex TWV vexpuw,
xoti S7ri<potvo~ei o~oi o XpifOf.
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150 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT, IX.
Awake, thou who sleepest ;
And arise from the dead ;
And Christ will shine upon thee.
Ephes. v. 14.
Wolfius, Cur. Philol.; and Rosenmuller, cite Heu- marm (Pceciles, torn. ii. p. 390.) as conjecturing these three lines to have been borrowed from one of those " hymns, or spiritual songs," which, even in the apostles' days, were used in the Christian Church ; and which are immediately noticed by S. Paul, in the same chapter of the same epistle, verse 19. The conjecture has been approved, and adopted, by Professors Storr, and Michaelis ; nor is it opposed by Rosenmuller. Wolfius, indeed, ob jects ; but his objections are not strong. Whether the verses be, or be not (with very slight alter ation), received as classic metres, they certainly form a triplet of constructive parallelisms.
finj-euoov sig TOV wov, s^s 6 $e otTrei^cov TOD vico, QUK O a\\' YI opyvj TOV §eov pevsi STT' UUTOV.
He who believeth in the Son, hath life eternal ; But he who disobeyeth the Son, shall not see life ; But the wrath of God abideth on him.
S. John, m. 36.
In this passage, our translators have not preserved the variation of the terms, 6 onrewwv, 6 awedtov : ren dering the former, "he that believeth;" the latter, " he that believeth not." The variation, however, is most significant ; and should, on no account, be overlooked : as Dr. Doddridge well observes, the
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 151
" latter phrase explains the former ; and shews, " that the faith to which the promise of eternal " life is annexed, is an effectual principle of sincere " and unreserved obedience.39 The descending series is magnificently awful : he, who, with his heart, believeth in the Son, is already in possession of eternal life : he, whatever may be his outward profession, whatever his theoretic or historical belief, who obeyeth not the Son, not only does not possess eternal life, he does not possess any thing worthy to be called life at all; nor, so persisting, ever can possess, for he shall not even see it : but this is not the whole ; for, as eternal life is the present possession of the faithful, so the wrath of God is the present and permanent lot of the dis obedient ; it abideth on him.
KGU TOTS a7roxaAu<prjcreTa<
6v o Kvpiog I>j<7ou£ avaAcotrei, TOO TrveupctTi TOV ^o^aTO; OIUTOU*
xai KctTctpyfivsi, TVJ eniQaveiot TIJJ vra.pov<rt»$
And then shall be revealed the lawless one ;
Whom the Lord Jesus will waste away, with the breath
of his mouth ; And will utterly destroy, with the bright appearance of
his coming.
2 Thess. ii. 8.
The word l^ous, sanctioned by numerous MSS., Vers., and Fathers, and admitted by Griesbach into his text, I have inserted. There is an ad- vance in the sense of the last two lines : " the " bright appearance of our Lord's coming," being a manifest rise above " the breath of his mouth." A similar progress is observable in the words
L 4
152 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
i, and Karagy^si : and, indeed, it is demanded by the laws of parallelism : the couplet in ques tion is a direct parallelism of the bimembral kind ; and, as the second member of the second line rises above the second member of the first line, so the first member of the second line must rise above the first member of the first line ; that is, x«Tagy>j<re» must rise above avaA«<rsi. An advance confirmed by the acknowledged force of these two words : for, as Dr. Chandler observes, the verb avafaa-xw is often used to denote any sort of gradual waste, or lingering decay ; and the verb xaragyew is no less frequently employed, as expressive of abolition, of final and complete destruction. It may be not improbable, that the apostacy here predicted by S. Paul, is Jirst to be gradually counteracted, by the diffusion of Christian truth, conveyed in the text, under the image of " the breath of our Lord's " mouth ;" and then to be ultimately put down, and annihilated, by the last triumphant advent of the irresistible Messiah, here designated, as <{the bright " appearance of his coming."
It is remarkable, that Daniel, when speaking of the little horn, uses also an ascending parallelism :
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his
dominion ; To consume it, and to destroy it for ever.
Dan. vii. 26.
" The judgment shall sit, to consume: they shall " take away dominion, to destroy." The renderings given by Theodotion are, atpavurai, and awoAeo-a/, to
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 153
deform, and destroy : by the LXX, p«vai and to pollute and to destroy.
In the text of S. Paul, Spohn, and Schleusner consider the words avaAcocm and xxTagyya-ei to be sy nonymous : if the principles of cognate parallelism apply to this passage, (and who can question that they do apply to it ?) the lexicographers must be
wrong.
ovai OIUTOI$* QTI ev TM 6w TOU xu'iv e KOLI TYI TrAavvj TOU /3aAa«^ pur^ou e£ KOH TY) avTiXoyia. TOU KQO= aTrcoAovro.
Wo unto them ! For in the way of Cain have they
walked ; And in the deviousness of Balaam's reward, they have
eagerly rushed on ; And in the gainsaying of Korah they have perished.
S. Jude, 11.-
Things future are here spoken of in the grandest style of prophetic poetry, as already accomplished. The climax, in the concluding terms especially of the lines, is very strongly marked.
7T£//A/OV TO gSTTCtVOV (TOV
OTI rjASev * r; o>^a TOU
OTI 60rj^avfi>] 6 -S'egKTjUooj TVJJ y>j
TTS^OV (TOU TO fiSTTCtVOV TO 0%U' KOil TgU
OTI
* The common editions after vjXfoy read o-o/, which is omitted, on abundant authority, and to the improvement of the sense, by Mill, Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach.
154 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
Put forth thy sickle and reap ; For the season of reaping is come ; For the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Put forth thy sharp sickle ;
And gather in the clusters of the vine of the earth ;
For its grapes are fully ripe.
Rev. xiv. 15. 18.
This passage imitates, and improves upon, Joel, iii. 13, The imagery of the two triplets is kept beau tifully distinct ; that of the former, derived from harvest j that of the latter, from vintage : " per " messem" says Bengel, " magna piorum, per vin- " demlam magna impiorum multitude, ex mundo " educitur," It seems finely in character, that the aftgel who announces, and invites, the for mer gracious process, declares the time of harvest to be come ; as though the heavenly powers were eagerly anticipating the consummation of the just; and reckoning, as it were, the hours, till the period of its appointed arrival Respecting the vintage, on the contrary, no mention is made of the sea son, or the hour ; it is not anticipated with plea sure ; it is not seemingly matter of appointment ; it is made to depend solely on the full growth of the grapes ; that is, on the fulness of the measure of iniquity. There is a remarkable difference be tween the reaper of the harvest and the gatherer of the vintage : the former is seated on a white cloud, like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown ; the latter simply comes out of the temple in heaven ; there is no golden crown, no
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 155
luminous cloud, above all, no resemblance to the Son of man. These distinctions surely are sig nificant : another yet remains': both have sharp sickles ; but when the mystical reaper is invited to perform his office, it is merely said, put forth thy sickle ; while to the mystical vintager it is said, put forth thy SHARP sickle - may not this variation of lan- ^guage, especially as connected with variations yet more striking, be accommodated to the severity of a process, of which the termination is unspeak ably terrific ? " And the angel thrust in his " sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of " the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of " the wrath of God : and the wine-press was " trodden without the city ; and blood came " out of the wine-press, even unto the horses' " bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hun- " dred furlongs."
eav 82 TO a\a$ /juo^avflrj, sv TIVJ aXi<r§Yi<rsTcu ', sig ouSev KT^VCI STI, EI pj
UTTO TCOV
OU vVUTOil 7TQl$ ttgurjV£O5 STTOiVM 0(>OU$ KSljJiSVYj' OU$£ KQUOVVl Xu^VOV, KOil TlftcOKTW CIVTOV V7TO TOV KOtl XctTTSl 7rct(Tl T0l$ SV
o TO $
OTTCOf w<7lV VfiWV TOi KCH.\Ot, SgyUy *
xat So^acrwo'i TOV TraTsga u^cov, TOV sv TQI$
But if the salt have become insipid, wherewith shall it be
salted ?
It is good for nothing thenceforth, except to be cast out ; And to be down-trodden under foot of men.
156 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
A city cannot be concealed, situated on a mountain ; Nor do they light a candle, and place it under the
bushel ; But upon the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all in the
house.
So let your light shine before men, That they may see your good works, And glorify your Father who is in heaven.
S. Matt. v. 13, 14, 15.
The bushel, the lamp-stand ; monadic nouns, which require the article ; see Dr. Campbell and Bishop Middleton in loc. Our Lord, in addressing the multitude, frequently brings his illustrations not only from familiar, but from humble life ; here he speaks of a house, in which there seems to be only one candlestick or lamp-stand; and one bushel for measuring corn.
CilTSlTS, KOLl $0§Yl<reTOtl U
KOLI 6 £yjTo>v, xa< TCO
Ask, and it shall be given unto you ;
Seek, and ye shall find ;
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you :
For every one who asketh, receiveth ; And every one who seeketh, findeth ; And to every one who knocketh, it shall be opened.
S. Matt. vii. 7, 8.
These triplets are closely connected, not merely in their subject-matter, but by their form of construe-
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 157
tion ; the first, second, and third lines of each, being respectively parallel to the first, second, and third lines of the other : the parallelisms will be obvious, by reducing the passage to a stanza of six lines, thus :
Ask, and it shall be given unto you ;
For every one who asketh, receiveth :
Seek, and ye shall find ;
For every one who seeketh findeth :
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you ;
For, to every one who knocketh, it shall be opened.
The existing order, however, is incomparably pre ferable ; both, as presenting our Lord's three in junctions in a compact body, and as keeping distinct two separate grounds of encouragement to obey these injunctions. In the first triplet, it will be observed, the encouragement is individual, or, at least, specific : " it shall be given unto you ; "ye shall find; it shall be opened unto you'' In the second triplet, the encouragement is generic, or, rather, universal : " every one who asketh, who " seeketh, who knocketh." * May not this ad vance, from promises to principles, from particulars to universals, have been designed, at once to elicit the faith of our Lord's immediate followers, and to establish the confidence of all succeeding gener-
* According to syntactic order, the frees yap of the first line relates equally to the two remaining lines of this second triplet. The copulative xa* is, in fact, but a substitute ; the full expres sion would stand thus :
-zzra? yap o air
vravri yap ru npovovn
See Dr. Campbell, Prelim. Diss. xii. part i. §29.
158 SACKED LITERATURE, [SECT. IX.
ations? Had the assurance been merely of a general nature, had it wanted the personal speci alty of the first triplet, sufficient provision might not have been made for the doubts and hesitancies of early converts, of whom it is repeatedly asserted, that they were dull in apprehension, and slow of belief: had the assurance been merely specific, had it wanted the principled extension of the second triplet, it might, in after- ages, have been difficult to prove, that it was not a peculiar privilege of our Lord's original disciples: as the passage stands, both purposes have been abundantly attained : the timidity of Christ's infant followers was encou raged, and the scepticism of prayerless rationalists was met by anticipation. A bare inspection of the context is enough to confute Rosenmuller, and others ejusdemfarince, who would fain restrict the promises here made, to the apostles alone.
A distinction of the same nature with that just adverted to, is observable in the commencement of our Lord's discourses (for, that they were distinct discourses, delivered on different occasions and in different places, I am, on many accounts, per suaded), S. Luke, vi. 20. and S. Matt. v. 3. : in the former we read :
paXOtplQl oI'STTWp^OJ* QTt V{J,£T££>Ot ££IV f] /3a<TiXsj« TOV 0SOU '•
Happy are ye poor : for YOURS is the kingdom of God : in the latter :
ju,ajcap<oi of -srrcop^oj TOO T&vsvfAciTi' on CUVTCOV s$~iv y fiaviXsia,
TWV ovpav&v :
Happy the poor in spirit : for THEIRS is the kingdom of heaven :
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 159
The one, a special beatitude, confined to the per sons then addressed ; the other, a general beatitude, restricted to no given individuals, limited to no particular period of time.
Commentators have variously explained the terms ask, seek, knock. The explanation of Eu- thymius Zigabenus is worthy of attention : airsiv
exe\sv<re; xou TYJV SOCTJV U7recr^e7o. -srAvjv pj aTrAo;^ COTSJV, «AA«
»iAo< TO
py povov per ewifiovYis xai SUTOVHX$, aAAa xa; jU,era TO; KCU cr<po5pOT»]TO£' TOUTO yotp /SouAsra* TO xpousTs. " He
" commanded us to ASK, and promised the gift : " not, however, simply to ask, but with perse- " verance and alacrity ; for this is indicated by the " word SEEK : and not only with perseverance and " alacrity, but with fervour also, and vehemence; " for this is the force of the word KNOCK." An in terpretation, it must be observed, which Euthymius extracted and abridged from S. Chrysostom. See this Father's twenty-third homily on S. Matthew.
Perhaps, without doing any violence to the moral meaning, the continuity and progress of the meta phor may be thus exhibited :
Ask the way, and information shall be given to you ;
Seek the house, and ye shall find it ;
Knock at the door, and it shall be opened unto you.
(TOU
pj yvwrw y) apg-gpa crow
8sia <rou*
OTTOJJ rj (TOU Yj £AeyjjOtOO-yV>J SV TCO
xaj o -craTyjp (row, 6 /SAsTrcov sv TW xp aurog oar$OKFBi <roi, sv TM (avsw,
160 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
cry E OTOCV
sig TO Totpeiov
TM WOiTpl (70V, TM SV TW XOUTTTOJ,, XOtl 6 T&OiTYlp (70U, 6 /3A57TOJV SV TCti
(rot, sv TCO tpaveco.
crou
TO; -ro-arpj (roo^ rco sv TO;
6 OTfltTVJp (TOW, 6 /SASTTCOV SV TCO XCUTTTCJO,
oi sv rco
But, when thou givest alms, Let not thy left hand know, What thy right hand doeth ;
That thine alms may be in secresy, And thy Father, who seeth in secresy, Himself will reward thee, in publicity.
But thou, when thou prayest,
Enter into thy closet,
And having closed thy door,
Pray to thy Father, who is in secresy, And thy Father, who seeth in secresy, Will reward thee, in publicity.
But thou, when fasting, anoint thy head,
And wash thy face,
That thou mayest not appear a faster unto men,
But unto thy Father, who is in secresy, And thy Father, who seeth in secresy, Will reward thee, in publicity.
S.Matt.\i.3, 4, 6. 17, 18.
In the original of these three pair of triplets, are several o/jwioTsAsura, or rhyming terminations, which,
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. l6l
in an English version, it is impossible to preserve :
SUCh are y oigi$-sgot crou* y) 8s£ia o"ov : roipisiov erotr Svgctv <rou : and twice repeated, TCO vroirgi <rou« o -ora-n^ o-ou- a?ro-
8a<rei o-oi. In the more remarkable, more frequently repeated, and far more important occurrence, of sv TCO tpavspw sv TCO xgvnTw, I have thought it right to make an effort, which, after all, is but a poor ap proximation, by rendering those antithetical terms, in secrecy ; in publicity.
The clause sv TO> <?uvsgc», has occasioned much critical discussion : on the authority of several MSS., Versions, and Fathers, it is rejected through out, from verses 4, 6, and 18, by Erasmus, Mill, Bengel, Campbell, &c. ; its retention throughout, is defended by Whitby, and others ; Wetstein and Griesbach omit it in verse 18 ; and the latter thinks it a probable interpolation also in verse 4. The retention throughout, may be defended, on the following grounds.
1. If the disputed words be tried on the testi mony of MSS., Versions, and Fathers, the weight of evidence preponderates in their favour, so far as verses 4 and 0 are concerned ; while, in verse 18, though omitted by the majority, they are retained by several : under these circumstances their total rejection would seem quite unwarrant able ; and even their partial rejection, does not appear to be demanded ; especially, as the proba bility is far greater, that a copyist might have acci dentally dropt them from the eighteenth verse, than, either by accident or by design, have transferred
M
162 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
them thither, from the fourth verse, or from the sixth, after so long an interval of text.
2. The antithesis between TO X^UTTTOV, and ro-pavegov is very frequent in the New Testament ; see parti cularly, S. Mark, iv. 22. S. Luke, viii. 17. Rom. ii. 28, 29. 1 Cor. xiv. 25. also S. John, vii. 10, where <pavegu)$ and sv xgvTrrw are antithetically opposed. It is not improbable, that our Lord might have used this formula the rather, as having been familiar to the Jews. Schoettgen, Hor. Hebr. torn. i. p. 56, 57, and Wetstein in loc. have accumulated, from rabbinical writers, numerous examples of the same antithesis. Circumstances these, which heighten the probability, that the words in question are genuine.
3. The moral argument, urged by Origen, and adopted by Dr. Campbell, not only is unsupported by the moral teaching of the New Testament at large, but is actually at variance with that teach ing. I shall transcribe the words of Dr. C. : " Origen did not think it probable, that our Lord, " in dissuading his disciples from paying a regard " to the judgment of men, would have introduced " as an incitement, that the reward should be pub- " lie ; a circumstance which brought them back, " as it were, by another road, to have still a re- " gard for the esteem of men." What then, one may fairly ask, could have . been the opinion of Origen, and of Dr. Campbell, respecting S. Luke, xiv. 10? Our Lord is there inculcating humi lity ; enjoining his disciples to take the lowest room \ and what inducement does he hold out?
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 1(J3
" That when he that bade thee, cometli, he may " say unto thee, Friend, go up higher ; then " slialt thou have worship, in the presence of them " that sit at meat with thee." On this passage Dr. C. makes no remark : here are no various readings, except one, which augments the force of our Lord's appeal to a moderated regard for the esteem of others : several MSS. and Versions in sert oravrwv after evewnov : " in the presence of ALL " them who sit at meat with thee." The truth is, that neither our Lord, nor his apostles, forbid all regard to the judgment and approbation, espe cially of good men ; they disallow it, indeed, as the principle of action ; particularly in religious matters, where it is a sort of sacrilege : but, as a subordinate and subsidiary motive, they both allow and recommend it. And besides, in the disputed clause, not the applause of men merely, but the concurrent approbation of an assembled universe, and of the holy angels of God, at the general judgment, is referred to : a motive, so repeatedly urged in our Lord's discourses, not to mention other parts of the New Testament, that, without irreverence, and probably without spiritual loss, it cannot be dismissed from our minds. The scru pulosity of Origen should, in this case, give way, before the manly piety of S. Chrysostom : Msya x«i"
<rep;ov awrw xaSifav Sectrgw xou OTrsg sKiSvfjist, rye T&sguuo-ia;. n yotg Sovtei, icv rivet; ; fiou TOIVVV £%?<$ rov TCOV oAx^v ©sov. e» § et$ ep^siv ^ecogowc, ouSs raurr^ (re «7rofc^st M 2
1G4< SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX
TO) 'crgoo'rjxovTJ* aXXa xat jaera -srXsiOvaj cro* auro rye u7rsg§oA>jc. vuv jttsv ya^ av £7n£sj£>), 8sxa xca eixocnv, >j x«( ixarov 0ty£goHrdi$ wnSeifcwSaj Suv^a-rj povo^' av Ss trTrouSao-r/s vtiv TOTS o"£ O.VTO$ 6 0£0£ xvax>jpu05ij T»JJ otxouae w$-s /xaX/g-a^ sj /3ouXsi av^^WTrouj i5siV (TOD ty x^u\I/ov «UT« vi/Vj iva jtxsTa -crAejovof TI^YIS TOTS OIVTIX SSGUTOOVTOII, TOV ©sou <pavsga WOIOWVTO^ xat e7cotigovro$, xcti vrctgct i&aa-iv ayaxrj^UTTOVTOj- vov /jtev ya^> <rou x«i xaTayvco- crovTai ol ogwvTej, a>j xsvo^o^ou* f^avoujasvov Ss tSovTe^, ou p,ovov ov
Tom. vii. p. 246. edit. Montfauc. Tom. ii. p. 134. edit. Savil. <c Our Lord here as- " sembles round the Christian, a great and venerable " theatre ; and gives him, with exceeding great " abundance, the very object that he longs after. " For what, saith he, dost thou wish for ? Is it " not to have some spectators of thy good deeds ? " Behold thou hast, I will not say angels and arch- " angels, but the God of all the world. But if " thou desires! to have men also for thy spec- " tators, neither shalt thou be frustrated even in " this desire, at the proper time : but HE will " grant it thee, in a far more eminent degree. " For ifj indeed, thou exhibitest thyself now, the " exhibition must be limited to ten, twenty, or " perhaps at most, an hundred spectators. But, " if thou art now studious of concealment, then, " God himself as an herald, will proclaim thee, " in the presence of the whole world. Where- " fore, if desirous that men should witness thy
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 165
" good works, especially conceal them now; in order " that, hereafter, all men may behold them with " greater approbation, when God will make them " manifest, and extol them, and proclaim them be- " fore all. For besides, those who now see thy works " will condemn thee as vain-glorious ; but here- " after, when all behold thee crowned, they will " not only not condemn, they will admire and " revere thee, — On this account it is, that Christ " commands thee, not only not to court exhi- " bition, but to be studious of concealment : for " observe, it is one thing not to be studious of " publicity ; and another thing to be studious of " concealment"
4. The laws of parallelism seem to decide the point at issue. Omit sv TV <potve§co in the three places, and that equipoise, so essential to Hebrew poetry, will be destroyed ; destroyed, too, in a passage, every other part of which is cast in the very mould of poetical parallelism. Omit the clause in any one triplet, and that one will un accountably differ from the rest ; a difference the more extraordinary, as the entire Sermon on the Mount is composed in parallelisms, without a single chasm or break, from the commencement to the conclusion. Nor, if we look to the mean ing of the passage, can these words be spared, without manifest injury to that meaning. Through out these verses, the phrase sv ™ <pavsgw is not only demanded antithetically by the phrase sv ™ xgwrrrw, but it seems, if we may so speak, to deforced out, by the reiterated notion of concealment, pervading
M 3
16() SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. IX.
in each pair of triplets, the five preceding lines. And it is worthy of particular attention, that, in the last pair of triplets, (that very clause from whence the critics almost unanimously expel the disputed words,) the verbal antithesis is peculiarly forcible and striking : for the act of the individual, according to S. Chrysostom's just distinction, not merely shows the absence of anxiety for display, but is studiously designed for concealment : 'On&^
MH <f>ANHS, - IN ORDER THAT THOU MAYEST NOT
APPEAR. Does not the generosity of God's dealings indicate, and, one might almost say, demand, that the reward of such an act shall be of the most PUBLIC nature ? EN T& <l>ANEPa, before the great assemblage of the last day ?
ouSffV yap efi xsxaAu^jU-svov, 6 OUK xai xpVKTQV, o ov yvfwrSvjFSTai.
For there is nothing veiled, which shall not be revealed ; And hidden, which shall not be made known.
One further observation, and I shall have brought this specimen, and this section, to a close.
In the third line of the second triplet, which relates to almsgiving, we read ATTO^ antivxw* HIM SELF will reward thee : in the two parallel lines of the fourth and sixth triplets, which respect prayer and fasting, we find simply aTro&axm, without «UTO; : will reward thee. The variation seems just and beautiful. Prayer and fasting being religious acts, more immediately directed towards God, it were needless emphatically to declare, " HIMSELF will reward thee :" but almsgiving, being more imme-
SECT. IX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 167
diately exercised towards our fellow-creatures, the emphatic ATTO3 intimates that GOD takes the debt upon HIMSELF :
He lendeth to JEHOVAH, who pitieth the poor ; And his recompense HE will repay unto him.
Prov. xix. 1 7.
Verily I say unto you :
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my
brethren, Ye have done it unto ME.
S. Matt. xxv. 40.
M 4
168
SECTION X.
I PROCEED with examples of the quatrain ; that is, of two parallel couplets, so connected, as to form one continued and distinct sentence ; the pairs of lines being either directly, alternately, or inversely parallel :
sv
g 07IKTW jU,OV gp^OjUEVOf, Iff^UpOTSpOf jU-OW
oi) oux ?///,! jxavoj ra
sv
OU TO 7TTUOV £V T*J
xai ^/axa^apjsi T>JV
xai <rvv<x.$ei TOV <TITOV cturov *i$ rrjv
TO Se a^vpov xuTxxoiva'ei Trvpi ao"(§so*T«;.
J, indeed, baptize you with water, unto repentance ;
But he who cometh after me, is mightier than I ;
Of whom I am not worthy to carry the shoes ; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire :
Whose fan is in his hand ;
And he will throughly purge his floor :
And will gather the wheat into his granary ;
But the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
S.Matt.m. 11, 12.
apyov o av XaA>jo"«>o"iv ol
Trepj auTOU Xoyov sv yap rcav Aoycov <rou sx TWV Xoywv aou
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 169
Every idle word which men shall speak,
They shall give account thereof in the day of judgment:
For, by thy words thou shalt be justified ;
And by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
S. Matt. xii. 36, 37.
6 yivwcrxcov rov &sov, UKOUSI rjjawv Q£ oux £f iv ex TOO 0£ou, oux ctxovsi yjpov : sv TOUTW yivwa-xopsv TO Kvevpct T*JJ aXrj^eiaj* xa» TO -crvsu/xa TVJJ srAav>]£.
He who knoweth God, heareth us ; He who is not of God, heareth us not : By this we know the spirit of truth ; And the spirit of error.
1 John, iv. 6.
jw,g£j/jivaTe T*) \/y^>) Ujtxwi/, n s TO; crwaTi, TJ
TO crcoaa, TOW
Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat ;
Nor for your body, wherewith ye shall be clothed : Life is a greater gift than food ;
And the body, than clothing.
S. Luke, xii. 22, 23.
sv T>J
TOD £V TJ) ayazrrj.
If ye keep my commandments,
Ye shall abide in my love ; Even as I have kept my Father's commandments,
And abide in his love.
S. Joh?i, xv. 10.
T»£ yag oi&ev avSgcoTrcov, Ta TOU av^^coTrou, £i /xrj TO <srV£Uu,a TOU av^«;9rou TO sv W xai T« TOU
£» txr TO /57V£UXa TOU
170 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
For who of men, knoweth the depths of any man,
Save only the spirit of the man [himself] which is in
him?
Even so, the depths of God knoweth no person ; Save only the spirit of God.
1 Cor. 11. 11.
Our authorised version reads, " the things of a man ; the things of the spirit of God :" an awk ward mode of supplying the ellipsis ; which ought to be filled up from the ra /3a3>j of the preceding verse. For this observation, I am indebted to Dr. Macknight. The article before avdgeowou is hypo thetical. See Bishop Middleton ; Doct. ofGr. Art. part i. ch. iii. sect. ii. § 1.
* 6 0so£ y
0)5-6, OUTS 6 tpvrevwv £fi TI, OVTS 6
I have planted, Apollos hath watered;
But God made to grow : So that neither he who planteth is any thing, nor he who
watereth ; But God, who maketh to grow.
1 Cor. iii. 6, 7.
>yag Si*
oY otvSgwTtov yap sv TCO aSa//, 7ravr=^ at ev rco i^co TTCUVTS^
For since by man came death ;
By man also came the resurrection of the dead : For as in Adam all die ;
Even so, in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor. xv. 21, 22.
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 1?1
ou Suvarai 6 vio$ TTOJSJV ap* laurou ouSev,
gav |u,»j rt /SXsTrrj TOV TraTsg
a yag av sxsivo$ voiy, raura xa* 6 woj 6/z,oia>£ TTOISJ :
TOV u/ov,
Ssijcvucnv aurw a auroj xat sivot rourcov iva
6 7r«T>]^ eye^si roug vzKpw$ xai xa» 6 uio^ o
ya^ 7rar>)^ xgivet rvjv x^icriv 7ra<rav SsSwxe TW iiw :
Iva Travrsj TI^WCTJ TOV xa$a;£ Tij^cocri TOV
6 jU,>] T»jW,WV TOV UiOV,
oy T»]U-a TOV TraTsga, TOV Trs^avrtx, O.VTQV.
The Son can do nothing of himself,
Except what he seeth the Father doing ;
For whatsoever things he [the Father] doeth ;
Those the Son also in like manner doeth :
For the Father loveth the Son,
And showeth him all things that he himself doeth ;
And greater works than these will He show him, That ye may marvel :
For as the Father raiseth up, and quickeneth the dead ; Even so, the Son also quickeneth whom he will ; For the Father judgeth no person ; But all judgment he hath given to the Son :
That all persons may honour the Son,
Even as they honour the Father ; He who honoureth not the Son,
Honoureth not the Father, who hath sent him.
S. John, v. 19—23,
172 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X
EtlTS 7TOiG'£l SV
Travra ra Iv
If one member suffer,
All the members jointly suffer ; If one member be glorified,
All the members jointly rejoice.
1 Cor. xii. 26.
In this quatrain, as in a very large proportion of quatrains of the alternate kind, there is also a direct parallelism of lines : in one view, the first line is parallel with the third, and the second with the fourth ; in another view, the first and second, and the third and fourth lines, are respectively parallel. In the parallelism, however, of the last two lines, there is a departure from the strict correspondence of terms : the &o£a?sra» in the third line, would seem to demand o-uvSoJa^Tai in the fourth, in like manner as the Tra^si of the first line, is an swered by o-u^Trao-^si in the second. Instead of a blemish, however, the variation is a propriety and beauty ; and might well warrant our addressing the reader in the words used by Saint Augustine, respecting a similar variation, of the same apostle : " Vide, obsecro te, in quanta brevitate, quam " vigilanter verba posuerit." In his previous de scription of the members of the body, S. Paul had characterised some as ao-Sevsfega, some as ar^or^a, some as ao-p^ova, — more feeble, more dishonourable, and uncomely : now, it could not with propriety be said, that such members participate in the glorifi cation of those, which are strong, honourable, and
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 173
comely ; while, on the other hand, there is strict propriety, as S. Chrysostom, in his commentary on this passage, has ably proved, in saying that they rejoice along with them. Thus far, we have viewed these terms in their literal meaning : nor, if we pass from the members of the body, to the mem bers of the Church, will the apostle's selection of language appear less appropriate. The foundation of his argument is, that some members of the Corinthian Church possessed superior gifts, and, consequently, attained superior honours : hence arose envy and jealousy on the part of those who were less highly gifted, and less conspicuously honoured : in correcting those evil passions, by an apt allusion to the harmony subsisting between the members of the human frame, he could not say, consistently with fact, that the less honour able members of the body, that is, the less illus trious members of the Church, were jointly glori fied with the more honourable members, with those who derived fame and reputation from the exer cise of their superior powers ; the very occasion of his address, implied and pre-supposed the con trary ; but, in stating that, which, from the myste rious sympathies of our animal frame, actually does take place in the natural body, he indicated, in the most delicate, and the most masterly way, what their duty was, as members of the spiritual body ; to rejoice, namely, in the exaltation of their more conspicuous brethren.
It may be just observed, that if we look to the verbal antithesis of the second and fourth lines,
174 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
the verb o-uy^aj^t is a far better correlative to cru/«ra<r;ce«, than <ruv&o£a£erai would have been ; and thus by a beautiful compensation, what is lost in the parallelism of lines 3 and 4 is gained in the parallelism between lines 2 and 4.
SITTS rrj o
xaj eysvero yaArjV)}
And having arisen, he rebuked the wind ;
And said unto the sea, Peace, be still ! And the wind ceased ;
And there was a great calm.
S. Mark, iv. 39.
It may not be amiss to observe here, how pos sible it is, in a translation, to give, with tolerable fidelity, the general scope of a passage, and, at the same time, to destroy its simplicity, energy, and beauty : for example, Dr. Campbell has thus rendered this passage : " And he arose, and " commanded the wind, saying to the sea, Peace ! " Be still ! Immediately the wind ceased, and a " great calm ensued." The unity of action, in the first clause, is broken by the unauthorised insertion of the copulative " and ;" while, in the next two clauses, the distinctness of action is impeded by a twofold omission, equally unauthorised, of the same particle. Arid what is gained by these liber ties ? Positively nothing, unless we account it an advantage to have Scripture divested of its charac teristic style ; to exchange the terse, sententious, and poetical brevity of the original, for the tame-
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 175
ness and prolixity of mere prose. The drag at the conclusion, " a great calm ENSUED," is abso lutely frigid : how different from the dignified repose of our authorised Version, almost vying with the noble original : — AND THERE WAS A
GREAT CALM !
On comparing the parallel places, S. Matt. viii. 26, and S. Luke, viii. 24, it will at once appear, that the description of S. Mark is fuller, more beautiful, and more picturesque, than those of his brother-evangelists. For this superiority, a pro bable cause may be assigned. S. Mark wrote under the direction, and probably, in this instance, from the lips, of one, who not only was an eye witness of our Lord's DIVINE power over the winds and waves ; but who, above all other eye-witnesses, had special cause to be impressed by every exer cise of that power : S. Peter was, on another oc casion, enabled by Christ to walk upon the water ;- a privilege peculiar to himself. " The servants " of God," says Dr. Townson, " had sometimes " walked through the parted waves : but no mere " man do we read of in holy writ, who was enabled " to walk ^OT?- them, but S. Peter."
The next example to be adduced, consists of three quatrains from S. Matthew, and an equal number from S. Luke ; each set of quatrains re lating the same discourse of our Lord ; but each varying from the other, in some remarkable parti culars ; these variations, together with some im portant bearings of the subject-matter, will, in this
176 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
case, demand a greater length of observation than I am in the habit of allowing myself to use.
ysvscx. 7rov))ga xai jU,o^aAj£ cnj/xstov s
xaj <n?jw,£iov ov ^oSrjo-srai auT)^ si j&yj TO (7>j]W.s<ov jwva TOI>
ev r>) xoiAia xoti Tgei$
TOU av-coTroy ev xcti
$ vivsuirai avar^orovrai sv T»J xgurei, TV)$ ysvea$ TOLDT^, xai xaroixgivovpiv aurvjv : or/ jxsrsvorjo-av £<j TO xa< iSoy -crXeiov icova
VOTOV eye>)(reTa» ev T*J xgHrsi9 ysvea$ TUVTYIS, xai xaTaxgivei auT>]V : OTJ rjX-^sv ex TO>V OTsgaTcov Trj^ yrj^, axoy<rai T>JV xai fiov, -crAsiov (roAoftcovoj coSs,
An evil and adulterous generation earnestly seeketh a sign ; And no sign shall be given it, except the sign of Jonas
the prophet: For, as Jonas was in the cavity of the whale, three days
and three nights ; So shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth,
three days and three nights.
The men of Nineve shall stand up in the judgment, With this generation, and shall condemn it : For they repented at the preaching of Jonas ; And behold, something greater than Jonas is here :
A queen * of the south shall arise in the judgment, With this generation, and shall condemn it :
* " A queen," not " the queen," is the proper rendering. See Bishop Middletori's excellent note.
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 177
For she came from the utmost parts of the earth, to hear
the wisdom of Solomon ; And behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
S. Matt.Ku. 39 — 42.
cryj|U,£iov oy §o$rj<7£Tai auryj, e» ftvj TO cnj/xeiov tcoi/a syevsro KMOI$ cnjj&eiov TO<£ ai o vio$ Toy avScoTrov, T>J
sv
TWV avwv r>jj ysvea^ Tatrnj^ xai xarax^vei
T>JV cro
sjj TO
This is an evil generation : it earnestly seeketh a sign ; And no sign shall be given it, except the sign of Jonas : For, as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites ; So shall also the Son of Man be, to this generation.
A queen of the south shall arise in the judgment,
With the men of this generation, and shall condemn
them : For she came from the utmost parts of the earth, to
hear the wisdom of Solomon ; And behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineve shall stand up in the judgment, With this generation, and shall condemn it : For they repented at the preaching of Jonas ; And behold, something greater than Jonas is here.
S. Luke, xi. 29 — 32.
Before entering on the main body of my re marks on these specimens, I think it proper to
N
178 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X
account for having rendered sv T*J XO<AJ« TOO X^TO?, — " in the cavity of the whale.*' The great body of commentators, (I speak not here of infidel theo logians, who, at all hazards, and by the most absurd evasions, would rid themselves of every thing miraculous in Holy Scripture, but the great body of orthodox commentators,) have been in the habit of considering, that Jonas was re ceived into the belly or stomach of some great fish : and, since the days of Bochart, they are generally agreed, that the fish in question was not a whale, but a shark. It must, indeed, be admit ted, that, from the narrowness of the passage, a man could not have passed into the stomach of a whale : but a learned French writer has brought invincible reasons to prove, that, neither could a man be received into the stomach of a shark, and preserved there, without a series of miracles. That fish is furnished with five or six ranges of teeth, placed in each jaw, after the manner of a palisade, which must have prevented the safe ingress and egress of the prophet. The monster's dreadful voracity must have been charmed down ; its extra ordinary and most rapid digestive powers must have been kept in abeyance ; and, even if the body of a man could have been preserved entire, it is hardly possible to conceive how, in such a place, respiration could have been carried on.
On the contrary, a safe and practicable asylum is afforded, not, indeed, in the stomach, but in another cavity of the whale : the throat is large, and provided with a bag, or intestine, so consider-
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 179
able in size, that whales frequently take into it two of their young when weak, especially during a tempest. In this vessel there are two vents, which serve for inspiration and respiration ; and here, in all probability, Jonas was preserved ; not, indeed, without miracle, but with that economy of miracle, so frequently exemplified in Scripture. This re ceptacle may be accounted a sort of air-vessel, and sufficiently answers to the term XO»AJ« in S. Mat thew, which I have rendered, cavity* See, for the particulars here stated in an abridged form, a very ingenious dissertation in the " Memoires des Je- " suites, publics par M. TAbbe Grosier," tome i. art. 9.
Of the above opinion, a strong, undesigned, and independent confirmation is afforded by an eminent naturalist : " La nature a construit ces " masses organisees de maniere qu'elles peuvent " s'elever a la surface des eaux, ou s'abaisser dans " leur profondeur a volonte. Du fond de leur " gueule part un gros intestin fort epais, fort long " et si large qu'un homme y passeroit tout entier. " Get intestin est un grand magazin d'air que ce " cetacee porte avec lui, et par le moyen duquel, il " se rend a son gre plus leger, ou plus pesant, sui- " vant qu'il 1'ouvre ou qu'il le comprime, pour aug- " menter, ou pour diminuer, la quantite d'air qu'il " contient." Diet. d'Hist. Nat. par M. Valmont Bomare, Art. BALEINE. This, it will be observed, is the testimony of a writer who had not the case of Jonas at all in view ; who wrote merely as a naturalist ; and who could, therefore, have given
N 2
180 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
no such colouring to his description, as the Jesuit might, perhaps, be suspected of giving. *
The student who desires further information on this subject, may consult the Curse Philologicas of Wolfius, vol. i. p. 220, &c. He there cites Peta- lossi, a physician of Lyons, and Heumann, for an opinion apparently similar to that of M. 1'Abbe Grosier. As, however, I have not access to those authors, I cannot speak with certainty.
The foregoing, as I intimated, was an incidental topic. I proceed now to observations more imme diately within the purpose of the present work.
In the first quatrain of the specimen, as recorded by S. Luke, there is a striking variation from the parallel quatrain of S. Matthew. This variation has been well described, and, in a good measure^ accounted for, by the late excellent Dr. Townson. His words are as follow: " Our Lord had mentioned " the sign of the prophet Jonas ; first, as pre-figur-
* I feel pleasure in acknowledging, that for these curious, and, as I conceive, not unimportant references, I am indebted to my learned friend Dr. Nash, late senior fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, and now rector of Ardstraw. It is, I trust, a higher motive than the mere partiality of friendship, which induces me here to mention, that the Irish Church is much indebted to the indefatigable exertions of Dr. N. for a long course of years, while divinity lecturer in the university of Dublin. From this notice, his modest and retiring merit will be apt to shrink. But many will thank me for paying this slight tribute to a man, whose example, whose advice, whose instructions, and whose encouragement, had the most beneficial influence upon their theological studies, and, it is hoped, will produce an ampler and better harvest, in their future profes sional exertions.
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 181
" ing his own death, and resurrection on the third " day ; and, secondly, as a warning to the Jews, " who stood condemned by the conversion of the " Ninevites. The sign of Jonas seems more im- " portant in the first view j but to understand it, " required a knowledge of his history. S. Luke " therefore mentions it only in the second, which " his context explains/' Works, vol. i. p. 188. •It will be recollected, that, according to the scheme of Dr. Townson, S. Matthew wrote for Jewish, and S. Luke for Gentile converts.
It has been further, and judiciously remarked, by Archdeacon Churton, that S. Luke drops the term adulterous (^o^aA^) probably because spiri tual adultery, the desertion, that is, of God, who had espoused to himself his covenanted people, was a notion not familiar to the Gentiles. Introduc. to Townson, vol. i. p. cxxv. It may be added, that, according to the best MSS., and several Versions, the same evangelist drops the term TQU vrgoprfou, the prophet ; a title, which, like the phrase juo^aA/c, would have had weight with Jewish converts, but to native Gentiles, must have been comparatively uninteresting: an additional reason, however, may be assigned for expunging, as Griesbach does, the words TOU -sT£o<p>j7ou : S. Luke unquestionably drops foo^ax^- it occurs not in a single collated MS., nor in any one of the ancient Versions of S. Luke ; nor is it cited, as his expression, by any of the Fathers ; now, p.oixot\is being omitted, were TOU vrgotprfov retained, the equipose of the two parallel lines would be destroyed ; while, by its exclusion, that
<N 3
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
equipose is preserved. In S. Matthew, the greater length of the second line is counterbalanced by the two epithets ^ov^gx} and fj,oi%a\i$* and indeed the inequality of the first two lines of this evan gelist is but an accident of language j in the Aram- gean, (the language which our Lord undoubtedly employed) the lines must have been of equal length ; for, as they stand, the second is length ened out by Greek particles from which the first is free ; and which, in the original, were expressed far more briefly.*
But, to resume S. Luke's omission of the typical allusion : a further probable cause may be assigned for it. That computation of time which extended the interval between our Lord's death and resur rection to three days, and three nights, was per fectly familiar to the Jews; and accordingly, as
* I would here, once for all, make an observation, which it may be useful to keep in view. The equiponderance of parallel lines is, in a great measure, preserved by their equality of length. That equality, however, is by no means uniform in the Old Testament: and, where lines are of equal length in the Hebrew original, there are frequent variations of length in the Septuagint version, occasioned by the different genius of the Greek language. Mere inequalities of length are not, there fore, in the New-Testament r*%o*> or lines, to be considered de partures from the laws of parallelism ; nor, are those lines to be compared directly with the parallelisms of the Old Testament, as distributed, for example, in Kennicott's Hebrew Bible, but as distributed in Grabe's Septuagint ; and, in like manner, the English lines, in all preceding and subsequent examples of this work, may be compared with the lines in Bishop Lowth's trans lation of Isaiah, or in Bishop Horsley's version of the Psalms. So far as the relative proportion of parallel lines is concerned> I fear not the result of such comparisons,
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 183
Reland has remarked, no objection was, on this ground, brought against the apostles, or the early Christians by their Jewish adversaries ; to Gentile converts, on the contrary, that mode of reckoning was strange ; they might have been startled by the seeming discrepancy between the typical prophecy, and its alleged fulfilment : and, on this ground, were there no other assignable motive, it might have been prudent for S. Luke to omit the typical and confine himself to the moral application, of the sign of Jonas. It is but right, however, in passing, to observe, that every real difficulty in the typical allusion, has been fully surmounted by the commen tators ; by none more ably than by Dr. Lightfoot, whose Jewish learning qualified him peculiarly for the task. " The propriety of the expressions three " days and three nights, and the third day, as applied « to our Saviour's resurrection, has been contro- " verted," says Mr, Wakefield, " by some writers of " much malice and little learning : such are always " the most uncandid and disputatious." I am not fond of partial and invidious applications; in all sects and parties, individuals doubtless may be found, to whom these words apply. But facts of recent occurrence suggest, and almost compel, the inquiry, whether certain of Mr. Wakefield's admirers might not derive benefit from trying themselves by his just and unquestionable aphorism ?
In the disposition of the two remaining qua trains, another, and a greater variation must be considered. S. Luke has reversed the order of S. Matthew ; interposing, with some apparent loss
N 4
184 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X
of orderly connexion, the case of the queen of the south, between the first and the second mention of Jonas* Archdeacon Churton is inclined to suppose, that S. Luke's previous omission of the typical allusion " induced the difference of order, which, " reversed in each, seems in each most proper.'* Introd. ut supr. p. cxxvi. Now, that S. Matthew's order was not merely the most proper order for his purpose, but the only order which he could pro perly have used, is sufficiently clear : in his first stanza, he makes 720 moral application of the sign of Jonas ; and further, he does make a typical appli cation ; but, to have proceeded at once from this type, without morally opening the sign, to another, and a foreign topic, would have implied inevitable confusion of subject, and distraction of the reader's thought. S. Matthew, therefore, could not, re taining his topics, have reversed his order. In S. Luke's case, these obstacles did not exist ; his omission of the type left him comparatively free ; if, in his first stanza, the moral application be not fully expressed, at least, no diverse application is even remotely hinted ; and therefore, without per plexing his readers, he might safely postpone, for a short time, the topic of Jonas. But though on Archdeacon Churton's principles I can perceive that S. Luke's transposition was allowable, some thing further seems necessary to prove it the most proper order for his adoption. I cannot here pro fess myself able to bring decisive proof, but I would offer, as a probable reason, the character of that class of readers for which S. Luke primarily
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 185
wrote : they were Gentile converts, to whom it must have afforded most encouragement, and most incitement, to mention, in the first instance, the case of a Gentile queen, not like the people of Ni- neve, propelled by the terrors of impending death and ruin, but attracted by the lessons of superior wisdom. The Jews sought a sign : and they sought it with earthly minds, and with obdurate hearts ; to them, therefore, with admirable fitness, S. Matthew first exhibited our Lord's tremendous application of the sign of Jonas. The Greeks inquired after wisdom : and, however erroneous the manner of their search, and however vain the principles on which it was conducted, still the desire was at bottom of a noble kind : S. Luke, therefore, in writing for the Greeks, or native Gentiles, seems to have discriminated most wisely, in placing before his readers, as soon as he possibly could, the attractive example of one who sought, and sought effectually, the streams of that true wisdom, the over-flowing fountain of which was now brought within their reach.
A slighter variation of S. Luke was probably not without design ; it appears, at least, to be very sig nificant : in S. Matthew we read :
A queen of the south shall arise in the judgment, With this generation, and shall condemn it:
in S. Luke :
A queen of the south shall arise in the judgment With THE MEN of this generation, and shall condemn THEM:
According to this latter exhibition of it, the verbal
186 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
antithesis is stronger, and the reproach is par ticularly pungent : a woman, a queen, accustomed to all the delicacies of life, eager after wisdom ; men neglecting it : she coming from afar ; they refusing to hear the voice of wisdom in their streets, and at their very doors. When S. Matthew wrote, there might still, perhaps, have remained to the apostles some hope of converting the Jewish race, or a large portion of it ; in which case, it would seem judicious to make the verbal antithesis between the queen, and the generation : when S. Luke wrote, the case was altered ; there was no prospect of nationally converting the Jews ; the apostles had turned to the Gentiles; and the reason no longer existed for directing attention, rather to the race, than to the individuals of it.
In our Lord's introduction of the queen of the south into this discourse, more, it is probable, was meant, than could meet either the ear, or the un derstanding, of his immediate hearers. At the very time when our Lord was, in their presence, performing miracles on earth, the Jews demanded a sign from heaven. This unreasonable demand was naturally answered by a reference to, and application of, the sign of Jonas : with the rest of the context, however, the topic of the queen of the south appears to have little or no connexion. I am disposed, therefore, to believe, that in this particular, our Lord had reference to a class of persons beyond his immediate auditory ; that he meant a covert allusion to the case of the Gentiles ; which allusion, for obvious reasons, could, before
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 187
such an audience as he was then addressing, be no more than covert. And this conjecture derives no inconsiderable support from the fact, that the topics of a sign, and of wisdom, are taken up and discussed by S. Paul, in such terms, as plainly indi cate that, throughout his entire discussion, this very discourse of our Lord was strongly present to his mind : with this remarkable compensatory dis tribution of the two subjects, that, while in our Lord's discourse, the topic of wisdom is, as it were, incidentally brought in and less fully dwelt upon, — the sign being manifestly the leading topic, — in S. Paul's discussion, the order is reversed : the sign is incidental and subordinate ; wisdom is the primary subject; it occupies his thoughts, as it flows from his pen. This to me appears a fine example of the right division of the word of truth. Our blessed Lord, in speaking to the Jews, is not wholly unmindful of the Greeks : S. Paul, in writ ing to Greeks, is not altogether regardless of the Jews : but each addresses himself principally to his proper class of hearers and disciples. As the pas sage of S. Paul is a good example of sententious parallelism, I feel the less difficulty in producing it, at full length. To the reader I commit the office of marking for himself the coincidences which are neither few nor slight, with the passages which we have been so long considering, of S. Matthew and S. Luke :
5 Xoyoj yotg 6 TOU
8? (rco^ojtxevojj TjjU'iVj Suvap-jj 0eou yctg :
188 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X,
TY}V (TOtylOiV TOW
xai TJJV (ruve(riv TWV (TUVSTMV
7TOV <TO<pO$y 7TOU ygCt[Jt,[Jl.OtT£V$ J
TOU otioovog TOUTOU ;
6 0=0£ TVJV cro^tav TOW xoo"|xou TOUTOU ; sv T>J cro^5<a rou 0sou5 syvw 6 xoo-^oj Sj'a T>JJ crotpjaj rov 0=ov, 6 0eo£,
TOU joj^uy/xaTOj o-coo-a* royj
xa» AA^ve^ (rotpiav
Ss ro<? xAvjro^ loo^aioij re xa< X^ig-ov, ©sou 5uv«jx<v, xa< 0£OL» <ro^<«v : on ro pwgov TOU ©sou, o-o^5«;re^ov rwv avSganroov err Xfl* TO atr^evsj TOU 0eou; icrp^u^OTs^ov TC/JV otvSgamoov /SAsTTSTe ya^ TVJV xArjcnv ujtx-cov, a OT< ou -croAAoj (ro
ou CToAAo* si/ysvsij : Ta j^w^a TOU xoo-jaou e£eA=J«TO o 0eoj,
jv« xaT«<o~p£Ui/y] TO. i<T%ugci.
_
For the word of the cross,
To the destroyed, indeed, is foolishness ;
But to us, the saved, is the power of God :
For it is written :
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise ;
And the intelligence of the intelligent I will set aside :
Where is the wise man, where the scribe?
Where the disputant of this world ?
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ?
For when, by the wisdom of God,
The world, through wisdom knew not God,
God was well pleased,
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 189
Through the foolishness of preaching to save them who
believe :
For the Jews demand a sign ; And the Greeks seek wisdom :
But we preach Christ crucified, To the Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block ; And to the Greeks foolishness ; But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God : For the foolishness of God, is wiser than men ; And the weakness of God, is stronger than men : For ye see your calling, brethren, That there are not many wise men after the flesh ; Not many powerful, not many nobly born : But the foolish things of the world hath God selected,
That the wise men he might put to shame : And the weak things of the world hath God selected,
That he might put to shame the strong things.
1 Cor. I 18—27.
In the above passage, several MSS., instead of
jouScaoi (TYif^siov atroucn, read jouSajoj (r>jjt/,£<a airoycn : a
reading approved by Bengel and others, and by Griesbach received into the text. The reasoning of Wolfius, in defence of our common reading, to me appears conclusive : " Pro o-yj^ov codices non- " nulli et versiones legunt in plurium numero, " o-yjjasja, non sine interpolatione. Quotiescunque " enim a Salvatore nostro Judacis o-rj/^o/xaw* expro- " bratur, (quod fit v. c. Matt. xii. 38. xvi. 1, 2. " Marc. viii. 11. Luc. xi. 29. Job. vi. 30.) toties "numerussingularisadhibetur, idque fortasse ideo, " ut indicetur, Judaeos, cerium quoddam signum, vel " signi genus, postulasse, non autem in iis, qure a " Christo vel apostolis ipsis edi videbaht, acqui-
190 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X.
" escere voluisse. Certe, nisi ipsa vocis forma id infe- " rat, argumenti tamen conditio requirit,ut phrasim " Paulinam hoc sensu accipiamus. Postulabant " scilicet Judsei signum, quod in coelo, et circa " res coelestes, conspiceretur. Ita Pharisaei, Matt. " xvi. i., a-^eiov ex TOU oupavou expetebant." Curse Philol. torn. iii. p. 313.
If, in fact, the Jews had but required signs and miracles in general, abundance had been performed, by our Lord and his apostles ; abundance were, at that very time, performed in the Corinthian church, to which S. Paul was then writing. It is evident, therefore, that they were eagerly expecting some particular sign of the Messiah in, or from, the heavens.
The parallelism of the context, it may further be observed, demands not the plural number, but the singular ; not o^eia, but <njfteiov for singulars must be opposed to singulars, and plurals to plurals j thus :
OtlTOV<Tl9
nor should it be omitted, that, in the subsequent lines,
JJLSV
the singular o-xav£aAov stands opposed to the previous singular o-rj^sjov, just as the singular [wgioiv stands opposed to the singular o-opiav, and as the plurals jouSaioi, «iTou<n, and *ow8aioi£, correspond to the plu rals eMyves, fyiTovc-iv, and lAA>j(r<. If, therefore, we read <nj/x,e««, not only will the sense be injured, as
SECT. X.] SACRED LITERATURE. 191
Wolfius has demonstrated, but the beautiful sym metry of the passage will be destroyed. It may be noticed, in passing, that for lAA>jcn, Griesbach reads eSveo-r a variation inadmissible on the prin ciples of Hebrew parallelism, especially as the word in question is not only preceded by lxx>jv^, but soon followed by txxijo-i. Such, however, are by no means among the most injurious results of Griesbach's very questionable critical canons.
Is it not probable, that, in this passage, S. Paul intended a classical allusion ? It is very certain, at least, that his representation of the case of the Jews reminds one forcibly of the rebuke given to Thales the Milesian. The Jews were looking for a sign from heaven ; and behold, a stumbling-block lay at ;their feet, Thales was gazing at the stars ; and fell into a deep pit. Mutatis mutandis, the rebuke of the aged female might have been ad
dressed to the JeWS : — o-y a, oo SaAr rot sv TJWJV ou
£IV, rCX, S7TI TOV OVQOIVOU 0/£
" canst thou expect, O Thales, to comprehend the " things in heaven, whilst unable to discern the " things at thy feet ?" See Diogenes Laert. lib. i. §34.
It will be recollected, that, in the second section of this work, some specimens were produced of alternate quatrains, in which, by a peculiar artifice of construction, the third line forms a continuous sense with the first, and the fourth with the second. This variety occurs also in the New Testament ; for example :
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. X
TOD 0eou :
TVJV uyvoioLV TYJV ov<rav sv Slot T>JV T
Being darkened in the understanding;
Being alienated from the life of God : Through the ignorance which is in them ;
Through the blindness of their hearts.
Ephes. iv. 18.
That is, adjusting the parallelism :
Being darkened in the understanding, Through the ignorance which is in them ; Being alienated from the life of God, Through the blindness of their hearts.
Again :
Koii e£>]TOUV CUVTOV
TOV
And they sought to seize him ;
And they feared the people : For they knew, that against them he spake the parable ;
And having left him, they departed.
S. Mark, xii. 12.
That is :
And they sought to seize him ;
For they knew, that against them he spake the parable :
But they feared the people ;
Therefore, having left him, they departed.
66 The particle xai in this verse," says Dr. H. Owen, ap. Bowyer, Conj. " bears three different " senses : the first is used in its common sense ; " the second stands for «AAa- and the third for
« ow."
193
SECTION XL
I PROPOSE, in this Section, to exemplify stanzas consisting of five lines ; and those also which con tain six.
1. The five-lined stanza admits considerable varieties of structure : sometimes the odd line or member commences the stanza ; frequently, in that case, laying down a truth to be illustrated in the remaining four lines : sometimes, on the contrary, after two distichs, the odd line makes a full close ; often containing some conclusion deducible from what preceded : sometimes the odd line forms a sort of middle term, or connective link, between two couplets : and occasionally the five-lined stanza begins and ends with parallel lines ; a parallel triplet intervening. Of all these varieties, some exemplification shall be given : —
ov^ £co$exa SKTJV wgoti T^ Yjpsga,; ;
scuv rig negiTToiTYi sv T>J ypegoi, ov 7rgo<rxo7TTSi'
OTI TO <p&$ TOU X007/,OU TOOTOU SOiV $£ TJ£ TTSiTTOtTY VVXTl,
OT< TO <^CO^ OVX SflV £V OtVTCti.
Are there not twelve hours in the day ?
If a man walk in the day, he sttimbleth not ; Because he seeth the light of this world : But if a man walk in the night he stumbleth ; Because the light is not in him.
S. John, xi. 9, 10.
Sir Norton Knatchbull, M. Saubert, Dr. Franck, Mr. Hallett, Mr. Wakefield, Dr. Campbell, &c.
Q
194 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
refer sv CM™ to TOD xorpov, as its antecedent. " Be- " cause there is no light in IT, that is, in the world," says Sir Norton, " not in HIM, as it is commonly " rendered, which agreeth not with common sense." And so Dr. Campbell ; " Common sense, as well " as the rules of construction, require this inter- " pretation." I have preferred the common ren dering, because, in my judgment, it seems to ac cord with the rules, both of grammatical construc tion, and of sententious parallelism ; and, at the same time, to convey a far nobler sense, than the proposed innovation. The construction would be extremely forced, if we were to go so far back as xoo-jaou for an antecedent : the parallelism would be destroyed, if we were to desert " the person walk ing," the leading member of the three preceding lines, and, in the last line, to take up " the world," a merely subordinate member, which had before occurred only in regimine : and the deep moral sense would be sacrificed to an unmeaning pleon asm ; for who needs to be informed, that THE LIGHT, that is, the SUN, does not, at night, appear to the world? The brief) but satisfactory note of Grotius, gives the true literal bearing of the pas sage : " Quia lux non est in eo.~\ In oculis ejus : " receptione enim lucis, et specierum, fit visio." The allegorical, or spiritual meaning is happily expressed by Euthymius. Eav n$ weg^a-nj sv
TVJf agSTYIS, OU TT^OCTHOTTTf* Si; XIVSWVOV* OT< TO $00$ TY}$ « /SXSTTSJ, KOil bfyySlTOtl. SOW %S Tig TTSgiTTOlTY} SV T>J (7XOTSI KCHKICLC, TTgOCTXOTJTSi* OT< TO $00$ OVK S^IV SV GtVTCti. (6 If a
" walk in the light of virtue, he stumbleth not
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. '193
" into danger ; for he seeth the light of virtue, 61 and is led on his way. But, if a man walk in " the darkness of vice, he stumbleth ; for the light " is not in him/' The light is wanting, not in the world, but in the individual. It is probable, that the whole range of literature, ancient and modern, sacred and profane, does not afford a better illus tration of this passage, than the strains of our great poet :
Virtue could see to do what virtue would,
By her own radiant light, though Sun and Moon
Were in the flat sea sunk.
He that has light within his own clear breast, May sit i' the centre, and enjoy bright day : But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts, Benighted walks, under the mid-day sun ;
Himself is his own dungeon.
Comus.
Q rctiv xotgTTow oiVTow
j&rj'n o"i>AA£youcnv euro
>j a?ro T£i£oAcov crvxa j
OUTCU TTctv SevSgov ayctSov xag7rov$ xaAot^ 7roj?
TO 8e croiTrgov Sevtigov ?cag7rou£ Trovygovs TTOISI :
ov SuvoiToii SevS^ov aya^ov xagnovs Trovygo ou$e SevS^ov (TGtTrgov xagTrous KotXov$ TTOISIV TTOIV SsvSoov \JL,YI TTOIOUV xotgTrov
otgaye cmo TODV xctgTrwv CWTWV sTriyvcocrse OIVTOV$*
By their fruits ye shall thoroughly know them : Do men gather from thorns the grape ? Or from thistles the fig ? Thus, every sound tree beareth good fruit ; But every corrupt tree beareth evil fruit :
A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit; Nor a corrupt tree bear good fruit : O 2
196 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
Every tree not bearing good fruit, Is hewn down and cast into the fire : By their fruits, therefore, ye shall thoroughly know them.
S.Matt.vii. 16—20.
On the use of the article in this passage, Bishop Middleton has the following remark, " V. 17. TO " Se o-a7r^ov Sev^ov. Eng. Version, ' a corrupt tree.' " This is the sense : yet the article here is not with- " out meaning in the Greek, but is equivalent to " Trav in the preceding clause. The version might " have been [rather ought to be] ' every corrupt " tree,' as is evident from what was said of the " hypothetical use of the article, Part I. In the " next verse, neither TT«V nor TO is used, because the " proposition is there exclusive." Doctr. of the Greek Article, p. 192.
Our authorised translation renders wav SsvBgov aya- 3ov xa£?rou£ xaAou? vroiei, — " Every good tree beareth " good fruit." The adjectives «ya3ov and xaXou^ however, should be distinguished : the first, I have accordingly rendered sound, as antithetically op posed to the o-aTTgov, corrupt, rotten, or unsound, of the next line.
These two connected stanzas are distributed with masterly skill. In the first stanza, the odd line commences the paragraph ; laying down a propo sition to be proved, or illustrated ; " by their fruits ye shall thoroughly know them." In the second stanza, on the contrary, the odd line makes a full close, re-asserting with authority the same propo sition, as undeniably established by the intermediate quatrains — • " by their fruits, therefore, ye shall
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 197
" thoroughly know them." The entire illative force of the particle a^ays, it is impossible to convey in any single English word. This passage unites the most exact logic, with the most beautiful imagery : the repetition, too, is no less poetical than it is argumentative. Our own best poets well know the value of a full reduplicative close; thus DRYDEN :
What passion cannot music raise and quell !
When Jubal struck the chorded shell,
His listening brethren stood around,
And wondering on their faces fell,
To worship that celestial sound :
Less than a God, they thought there could not dwell
Within the hollow of that shell,
That spoke so sweetly and so well : — WHAT PASSION CANNOT MUSIC RAISE AND QUELL !
And SOUTHEY :
How beautiful is night !
A dewy freshness fills the silent air,
No mist obscures, no little cloud
Breaks the whole serene of heaven :
In full-orb'd glory the majestic moon
Rolls through the dark-blue depths :
Beneath her steady ray
The desart circle spreads,
Like the round ocean girded with the sky : — -
HOW BEAUTIFUL IS NIGHT !
yotg
xcti flour *Aeia STTI /3acnXe»av : KCX.I e<rovraj A<jU,ot KOH AOJJCX.OJ' xai (reio-jxoj xara TOTTOV$ :
•cravra $e TUVTOI «> co§<y«;v.
o 3
198 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
For nation shall rise against nation ; And kingdom against kingdom : And there shall be famines and pestilences ; And earthquakes in sundry places :
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
S. Matt. xxiv. 7, 8.
TOU;
y e TOV Grvs-jpotTOg /Aa<r<£»jpa ovx. xai bg cav emy Aoyov xara TOV viov TOV
6; S'av eJTH? KCITCL TOV vrv'vpciTo; TOV ayiov ovx a^s
OiVTCJO,
OVTS 6V TOVTCti TW CtlCWl, OVTS SV TOO jW,sAAOVTJ.
All manner of blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men ; But the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven
unto men : And whoso speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it
shall be forgiven him ; But whoso speakest against the Holy Spirit, it shall not
be forgiven him, Either in this world, or in the world to come !
5. Matt. xii. 31, 32.
On the clause xara TOV ^vsv^aTog TOV ayiov, Bishop Middleton has an important note. " D. alone a " pr. manu — - second TOV. This is evidently wrong : " for not only does it contradict what was shewn " Part i. chap. viii. § 1., but it is also foreign from cc the practice of the whole N. T. The meaning " of -nvsvpa aytov in this place is not absolutely de- " termined by the article, though it is evidently " used, either in the personal or fourth meaning, " deduced Matthew, i. 18., or else according to " the fifth sense, to signify the holy influence. " The context, however, determines at once in
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 199
" favour of the former of these, as is plain from " TO vrvEupa. TO fyiov being used in opposition to 6 uu$ " TOU Qsov in the preceding part of the verse : for " an antithesis between a person and an influence " would be unnatural. TO wsupot, therefore, in " the last verse, was also used in the personal " sense." — Doctr. of the Gr. Art. p. 213. This is one among numerous instances, which prove, how essentially the criticism, the interpretation, and the theology of the New Testament may be served, by close attention to verbal collocation, to antithesis, and parallelisms of sense ; in a word, to all that constitutes the technical distribution of Hebrew poetry.
o yag
KGtl Ol
sv$v(roi[j!,£voi Swgotxa.
xoti trsgixetpaXoiiotv, eA7r<5a
For they who sleep, sleep in the night;
And they who are drunken, are drunken in the night :
But let us, who are of the day, be sober : Putting on the breast-plate of faith and love ; And for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1 Thess. v. 7, 8.
ou ytx.g o sv TOD
ouSs rj ev TOD (fiavsgou, ev <roigxi, aAX* 6 sv TCO xgvTTToo, iov$otio$*
xoti vTsgiTOpYi x.otg$Hx$, sv VTveupotTi ou ov 6 snaivos ovx s% avSgwTrow ct\\' sx TOV Qsov.
For he is not a Jew, who is one outwardly ;
Neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh:
o 4
200 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly ;
And circumcision that of the heart, in spirit, not in
letter : Whose praise is not from men, but from God.
Rom. ii. 28, 29.
In this specimen, it will be observed, the first, third, and fifth lines not only are parallel, but keep up a continuous sense, though that sense be twice suspended, by the intervention of the second and fourth lines, I shall hereafter have occasion to show, that this alternation of distinct and incom- miscible senses is sometimes carried to a far greater extent in the New Testament.
s rovg
on ou o-TTeigovo-iv, ou$s o\S ovx. e$-iv rapsiovy o xai 6 3-£0£ rgstpsi aurouj* •OTOCTOJ p,aAAov vzi$ Bjaesrs rwv
Consider the ravens :
They neither sow, nor reap ;
They have neither store-house nor barn ;
And God feedeth them : How much are ye superior to those birds ?
S. Luke, xii. 24.
In the correspondent divisions of the second and third lines, there is a beautiful accuracy : they do not sow; nor have they any store-house, from whence to take seed for sowing : they do not reap ; nor have they any barn, in which to lay up the produce of harvest. The habit of observing such niceties is far from trifling 5 every thing is im-
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 201
portant which contributes to illustrate the organiz ation of Scripture.
2. The six-lined stanza sometimes consists of a quatrain, with a distich annexed : sometimes of two parallel couplets, with a third pair of parallel lines so distributed, that one occupies the centre, and the other the close : and occasionally, of three couplets alternately parallel ; the first, third, and fifth lines corresponding with one another ; and, in like manner, the second, fourth, and sixth. The parallelism in this form of stanza is also frequently introverted ; a variety, which, for the most part, comes under the description of epanodos ; and which will hereafter, in that character, be more largely exemplified.
Specimens of the six-lined stanza must now be given :
si yotg g-yyvacov ouga.vo$ : TO JJLSV T&go&WTrov TOV ougctvov yivwvxeTe TO. §£ (DW,s*a TCOV xotioov ou
When it is evening, ye say, " A calm !
" For the sky is red : " And in the morning, " To-day a tempest !
" For the sky is red and lowering : " Hypocrites ! The face of the sky ye know how to discern ; But the signs of the times ye cannot [discern],
S. Matt. xvi. 2, 3
In several MSS. &c. this beautiful passage is wanting. The best critics, however, justly main-
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
tain its genuineness. For its omission, the follow ing have been assigned as probable causes : — 1 . This paragraph did not verbally correspond with the parallel place, S. Luke, xii. 54. 2. The words were liable to cavil or abuse ; and might not have have appeared sufficiently dignified for our Lord. 3. In some climates the alleged prognostics of weather did not hold good ; and therefore the clause was omitted, that our Lord might not seem to contradict the physical truth of things. How far any of these causes may account for the omis sion, readers will judge : that they justify it, none, perhaps, will be hardy enough to maintain. See Kuinoel in loc. and Bengel, Crisis, and Gnomon, Nov. Testam.
Kypke, Raphel, Wetstein, and others, have ac cumulated passages from the classics, in which euS<a and %£</xcov stand opposed one to the other. A strik ing passage, which appears to have escaped all the commentators, may be added from Pindar :
vvv 07rot<r<rsv
But now the earth-embracing God,
Hath, from a storm, vouchsafed to me a calm.
Isthmia, Carm. vii.
Wetstein and others have also cited many authors, both Greek and Roman, as noticing the same prognostics of weather. The elder Pliny affords a very exact coincidence : "Si circa occidentem " rubescant nubes, serenitatem futurae diei spon-
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 208
" dent. Quod si in exortu fiet, ita ut rubescant " nubes, maxima ostendetur tempestas." Hist. Nat, xviii. 78.
Several MSS. and Versions omit toxgirai, and some commentators are of opinion that it was introduced into the text from S. Luke, xii. 56. It would rather seem that wroxgiiw stood in the original, but was omitted by some copyists, from an erroneous estimate of our Lord's character. In all ages of the Church, it has been too common to attenuate his gracious mildness, into a milkiness and tameness quite remote from the divine reality. Nor have the the very best and ablest ecclesiastical writers been always sufficiently mindful, when attempting to draw the character of Christ, of that overwhelming majesty, and that indignant severity of reproof; which, on fit occasions, he exhibited and employed, in his intercourse with presumptuous or hypocri tical offenders. From this charge, I do not think S. Chrysostom can be altogether exempted : in the present passage, he omits vnoxgiroti : and resolves our Lord's feelings into regret, unmingled with indig nation ; in support of which view, he cites S. Mark, viii. 12. as a parallel case : the deep groan however, in that evangelist, appears to breathe indignation, yet more forcibly than sorrow ; and the reply, there recorded, is answerable to such a notion : apjv Aeyco
vpiv, si $O§YI<TBT<XI T>) yevea TCUJTYI cnjffcsiov I for, though 1
would not just maintain, with Pere Simon, that this abrupt elliptical form of words conveyed an impre cation, it cannot, I apprehend, be questioned, that it is a refusal of the strongest and most indignant
%04) SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
kind. Commentators ought not to forget, that in the keenest and most cutting reprehensions, there is often the most genuine mercy : to offenders, that they may be reclaimed ; to the innocent, that they may not be perverted. I am sorry to observe some traces of the defect here pointed out, in the very beautiful, and, otherwise, excellent and unex ceptionable discourse of Dr. Townson, " On the " manner of our Lord's teaching."
6 T
6 $svT6(>Q$ otvSgWTTo;, o xvgio; e% o»0£ 6 p£oVxo£5 TOIOVTQI x,cx.i ol %oixor
Y.OLI OIO£ 6 £7TOUgotVlO$, TOiOUTOJ ol STTOVpCtVlOl I
xat xoi§(*)$ sQogevapsv T>JV eixova. TOU -fcoixov, <pogecrOj«,sv xai T>JV s^ova TOU gTrou^avioy.
The first man, from earth, earthy ;
The second man, the Lord from heaven : As the earthy man, such also the earthy men :
And as the heavenly man, such also the heavenly men ; And as we have borne the image of the earthy man ;
We shall bear also the image of the heavenly man.
1 Cor. xv. 47—49.
£xsivo$ Ss 6 8ouXo£ 6 yvov$ TO SeA^a TOU xvgiov SOIVTOV, xoti ^YI sTOi[j*ot<Ta$, jot>jS= -sro/yjcras OT^OJ TO SeAv^a at/rou,
And that servant who knew the will of his Lord,
And who prepared not, neither did according to his will,
Shall be beaten with many stripes : And he who did not know, And did things worthy of stripes,
Shall be beaten with few stripes.
S. Liikei xii. 47, 48.
SECT. XI. j SACRED LITERATURE. 205
The antithesis in this passage has prodigious moral depth : he who sins against knowledge, though his sins were only sins of omission, shall be beaten with many stripes : but he who sins without knowledge, though his sins were sins of commission, shall be beaten only with few stripes. Mere negligence, against the light of conscience, shall be severely punished ; while an offence, in itself compar atively heinous, if committed ignorantly, and without light, shall be mildly dealt with. This merciful discrimination, however, is full of terror : for, whatever may be the case, respecting past, forsaken, and repented sins of ignorance, no man is entitled to take comfort to himself from this pas sage, respecting his present, or future course of life ; the very thought of doing so, proves, that the person entertaining that thought, has sufficient know ledge to place him beyond its favourable oper ation.
pj <po£>j3»JT£ DITTO TOM OtTTOXTeiVOVTCtiV TO
xa* ju-era raura pj s^ovrcav -GrsQiora-OTegov n
TOV jctera TOU
ep^ovra gjX^aAsjv ei$ yssvvotv' voti, Xsyco u/jtjv, <pobrj$»]T£ aurov.
Fear not them who kill the body,
And after that have no more that they can do ;
But I will show you whom ye shall fear : Fear him, who after he hath killed, Hath power to cast into hell ;
Yea, I say unto you, fear him.
S. Luke, xii, 4, 5.
206 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
eav yag ayaTnjo-rjrs rov$ ayot7rwvTOi$ \J\LOL^ rivet
ouy» jcaj ol reXctiVon TO CHUTO woiovo'i 5 xa< eav acr7rao->jo-3e rou$ a$eA<pouf u//,a;v povov, n
xat ol sftvixoi OUTU) -CTOJOUO"! ; []-C3-o<s*T£ 5
e owv Ujas^ rsAeio^ 6 vraTYig vpwv Q EV roig ovgavoig TS\SIO$ e?i.
For if ye love them who love you, what reward have
you?
Do not even the publicans the same ? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do you extra
ordinary?
Do not even the Gentiles thus ? Be ye therefore perfect,
Even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. , S. Matt. v. 46— 48.
In the fourth line of this extract, I have substi tuted eSvixoi for retoovou' a substitution, which, though disapproved by Mill, is authorised by several MSS., by the great majority of Versions, and by many of the Fathers : eSv«xo* is approved by Bengal, adopted by Griesbach in his text, and received by Rosen- miiller, Kuinoel, &c. The alteration is demanded by the principles of parallelism. In the first line, and its parallel the third, the terms are all varied thus :
spiers . . .
Now, to correspond with these variations, a similar change of terms appears indispensable in the se cond and fourth lines, which are also parallel ; and it is accordingly afforded, by the adopted vari ous reading :
o
SECT. XL] SACRED LITERATURE. 207
It may be added, that, according to the common reading, the fourth line would be merely tautolo- gous ; while, on the contrary, this alteration gives a lively progress to the argument. Degraded as publicans were, they might still be Jews, and they frequently were so : but the Gentiles were objects of unequivocal and national hatred : the publican might be despised ; the Gentile was detested. Each resemblance, too, is thus appropriately pointed. In loving their lovers only, they were equalled by the sordid publicans, whose very affections moved only at the command of selfllove, or rather of self-interest: in saluting their brethren, that is, their countrymen only, they thought themselves discharging a religious duty; this, at least, they imagined, was a virtue peculiar to them as Jews ; but our Lord brings home the fact, that in this exclusive nationality, they were equalled by the very heathen. And here we may observe a further nicety ; the questions asked are,
Do not even the publicans THE SAME THING? Do not even the Gentiles THUS ?
All who loved their lovers only, were actuated by one and the same principle, of selfishness : not so with respect to all who confined their courtesy exclusively to their own countrymen; the Jews did this from religious bigotry, the Gentiles, from national pride : and, as principles determine the character of actions, the Gentiles, in this parti cular, could not be said to act in the same, but in a like manner, with the Jews.
208 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
Mr. Wakefield is pleased to call the reading of eSwxoi instead of rsXwva* an unimportant variation : for my own part, though by no means inclined to dogmatise in these matters, I cordially agree with S. Chrysostom in thinking, that, however minute, the variations of phraseology in Sacred Scripture are rarely, if ever, unimportant ; that, frequently, the addition even of a single letter may introduce a vast body of conceptions : CTOAA«XJ? *«* evo$ roj%stou
•GT^otrSrjxyj oAojcAyj^ov vorjjtjumov gjtnjyaye Svvotpw. Opel*, tom. hi.
p. 172. edit. Bened. S. Chrysostom, it must be observed, was no cabalist. Among all the Fathers of the church, he may be fairly styled the father of rational and manly interpretation.
cigars TOV fyyov pov e<p' fytac, xai |U,a$£T£ an e/xou* 6r< -cyao^ eijju, xai raTrsivo^ rrj
6 yotg ^uyoj jtxou %^ro^5 xai TO (pogriov JU.QU eAa^^ov sf/.
Come unto me, all ye who labour, and are burthened ; And I will give you rest :
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; For I am meek, and lowly in heart ; And ye shall find rest unto your souls : For my yoke is easy, and my burthen light.
S.Matt.xi. 28— 30.
The parallelisms here marked, will, it is presumed, appear both unquestionable and intentional, when the related lines are brought into contact with each other 5 thus :
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 209
Come unto me, all ye who labour and are burthen ed ;
For my yoke is easy, and my burthen light :
And I will give you rest ;
And ye shall find rest unto your souls :
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me ;
For I am meek, and lowly in heart.
These three parallel couplets I now propose sepa rately to analyse.
Come unto me all ye who labour and are burthened ; For my yoke is easy, and my burthen light :
The expressions " to labour," and " to be bur thened/' comprehend, in their literal sense, all the modes in which working animals are commonly employed ; they either draw, or carry ; in the former case, they wear a yoke, in the latter case, they bear a burthen : which two ideas are ac cordingly repeated, each with an appropriate softening, in the latter of these lines : an " easy yoke ;" a " light burthen." The moral meaning of this figurative language, is abundantly clear. To labour, is to pursue the work of sin and the world, as an operative agent ; it includes all the activities of evil : to be burthened, is to endure the inflictions imposed by sin and the world, as a passive reci pient ; it comprehends all the pains and penalties of evil. To this miserable course of action and endurance, are opposed the blessed activities, and not less blessed sufferings, of the Christian life : my yoke is easy; it is " a service of perfect freedom :" my burthen is light ; for, though " the Christian has his sorrows, his sorrow is sweeter than this world's
joy."
P
210 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XI.
The happy result implied in this cheerful con trast, is emphatically promised in the second line, and the promise not less emphatically repeated in the fifth line : here, for the sake of clearness, again brought together :
And I will give you rest ;
And ye shall find rest unto your souls :
Rest ; rest unto the soul : rest external ; and rest internal: rest from a laborious course of evil action ; rest from an oppressive weight of mental suffering : the former given, on coming to Christ, that is, taking him for our Master instead of the world ; the latter found, by perseverance in the course recom mended in the central couplet ; this, as it occupies the midmost place, so it is the mainspring of the whole encouragement and exhortation :
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, For I am meek, and lowly in heart :
that is j
Take my yoke upon you, for I am meek ; And learn of me, for I am lowly in heart.
1. " Engage actively in my service, and you " will find me an easy master ; for I am meek : I " will impose no galling yoke ; and, instead of the " toilsome servitude of sin, you shall be employed " only in labours of love.
2. " Follow my example in passive fortitude, " and you shall be exempt from all oppressive "burthens; for I am lowly in heart : and lowli- " ness of heart is the grand specific, fdr converting " pains into pleasures, and sorrow into joy."
SECT. XI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 211
In order, however, to feel properly the beauty of this passage, we must advert to another, of a very opposite description :
<pogTia, agsix. KO
xcti ETrmdgatny STTI TOV$ wpovg TOM TW $s SaxruAw; OLUTWV ou SsAowcn x/vrj(rai aura.
For they bind burthens heavy, and hard to be borne;
And impose them on the shoulders of men ;
But with a finger of their own they will not move them.
S. Matt, xxiii. 4.
Our Lord is here speaking of the Scribes and Pharisees: the contrast is very remarkable : they bind together several grievous and insupportable burthens ; our Lord's burthen is but one, is easy, and is light : they impose their burthens by force ; our Lord graciously invites his followers to take up his burthen, at their own election : they will not so much as touch their burthens with a single finger ; HE bare our infirmities, and carried our griefs.
I shall close my remarks on this example, with a pithy sentence of S. Bernard : " Pulcre Dominus : " Tollite Siitjygum meum super vos : ac si diceret, " non impono invitis, sed vos tollite si vultis. " Alioquin, non requiem sed laborem invenietis " animabus vestris." Ep. xi. torn. i. p. 31. ed. Bened.
212
SECTION XII.
IT frequently happens, that more than six parallel lines are so connected, by unity of subject, or by mutual relationship, as to form a distinct stanza. Examples of this kind of distribution shall be given in the present section.
07TOV <TYi$ K
xa» OTroy xsTrraj ogixrcroucn xct.i <rau£*£5T£ §5 vfiiv Syjcraugou^ ev ovgoivw OTTOV OUTS u"f\g OUTS jSgwcnj oitpctvi^eiy Kent OTTOV xXsTTTa.1 ov $iQ()va'(rova'iv OVTS eg-tv 5 ai y;
Treasure not for yourselves treasures on the earth ;
Where moth and rust consumeth ;
And where thieves dig through and steal : But treasure for yourselves treasures in heaven ;
Where neither moth nor rust consumeth ;
And where thieves do not dig through and steal : For where your treasure is, There will also be your hearts.
S. Matt. vi. 19—21.
The term to dig through is very expressive : eastern houses were commonly built of mud, or clay, with very thick walls. See Harmer's Ob servations, vol. i. p. 286. The phrase may, how ever, mean, to dig through the earth, to the place where treasures have been buried ; and in this sense the clause is explained, in the paraphrase of Erasmus.
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 213
OUV f/£ OlXOVSl U-OU TOV$ AoOU TOVTOV X«» TTOIEI
T»JV ojxiav aurou STTI -njv
xai *jAov o xai £7rv5y(rav o xai OT^ocreTrscrov T>J oix/a oux sTrea-g* TS^S/XS^JWTO ya^ ETH rrjv
xaj -sraj 6 axoucov f/,ou TOUJ Xoyou? Tourouf , xai jx>j CTO/WV ayroyj,
OIVTQV
xai rjA'ov o* xai eTrvgycrav ot
v T>J
Whosoever, therefore, heareth these my words, and I will liken him to a prudent man, [doeth them,
Who built his house upon the rock :
And the rain descended,
And the floods came,
And the winds blew,
And fell upon that house : And it fell not ; for it was founded upon the rock.
And every one hearing these my words, and doing them Shall be likened to a foolish man, [not,
Who built his house upon the sand :
And the rain descended,
And the floods came,
And the winds blew,
And struck upon that house ; And it fell ; and the fall thereof was great.
S, Matt. vii. 24—27.
I have rendered £?ri T>JV Trsrgav, " upon the rock," the rocky or stony ground ; opposed to em r>jv
p 3
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
" upon the sand." See Bp. Middleton, Doctr. of Gr. Article, p. 193.
In these two connected stanzas, the language may be justly termed picturesque. The marked transition in each of them from a long and mea sured movement, to short rapid lines, and the re sumption, at the close, of a lengthened cadence, are peculiarly expressive. The continual return, too, in the shorter lines, of the copulative particle, (a return purely Hebraic, and foreign from clas sical usage,) has a fine effect : it gives an idea of danger, sudden, accumulated, and overwhelming. These are beauties which can be retained only in a literal translation ; and which a literal translation may exhibit very competently. Dr. Campbell has some very judicious observations (Prelim. Diss. iii. § 4.) on the literal simplicity of the Latin Vulgate as contrasted with the classical affecta tion of Castalio's Version. By way of example, he produces their several renderings of the begin ning of Genesis. In the Vulgate, as in our autho rised English Version, the first five verses are broken into no less than eleven short sentences, connected by the copulative particle : these all, except the first and last, Castalio reduces to one complicated period, for which he is, with much propriety, censured by Dr. Campbell. It is to be regretted, that, as in many parts of the four Gos pels, so especially in the passage now under con sideration, the translation of the learned professor offends against his own better principles. In the original text, the description of the tempest which
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 21,5
assailed the prudent man's house, together with its final stability, is comprised in six short independent sentences, the first five of which are linked toge ther by the particle KM : in like manner, the tem pest which assailed the foolish man's house, with its final overthrow, is described in six short sen tences, all beginning with the copulative particle. In Dr. Campbell's translation, each of these de scriptions is wrought up into a single period : so that, instead of the eleven or twelve short sen tences of the original, we have two periods, by no means happily assorted, in the Version of the learned professor ; periods, alike deficient in the full flow of classical composition, and in the pun gent brevity of the sententious parallelism. His rendering of the entire passage I will insert, as de manding a few additional observations : " There- " fore whosoever heareth these my precepts and " doth them, I will compare to a prudent man, " who built his house upon the rock. For although " the rain descended, and the rivers overflowed, " and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, " it fell not, for it was founded upon the rock. " But whosoever heareth these my precepts and " doth them not, shall be compared to a fool, who " built his house upon the sand. For when the " rain descended, and the rivers overflowed, and " the winds blew, and dashed upon that house, it " fell, and great was its ruin." In the first place, by omitting to render avrov in the second line, Dr. C. has committed a fault against grammar ; " whoso ever heareth — I will compare." Again ; " FOR
p 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
" ALTHOUGH the rain —it fell not," is substituted for, " AND the rain — and it fell not ;" and in like manner, "FOR WHEN the rain — it fell," is substituted for " AND the rain — and it fell." Substitutions surely not conceived in the happiest taste : for, as I have already observed, they resolve two series of short, and most expressive sentences, into two ill- constructed periods ; nor is this the whole, or per haps the worst ; for the gratuitously inserted words anticipate, and by anticipating, sadly weaken, the final contrast: " FOR ALTHOUGH the rain, " the rivers, &c. — it fell not : FOR WHEN the rain, " the rivers, the winds, &c. — it fell :" here is, on both sides, a premature disclosure, unwarranted by the original ; which, if we may so speak, cheats the reader of a conclusion that he would have been gratified by drawing for himself. Nor should it be omitted, that much of the effect depends on the calamities being described in both cases, in similar terms, and with precisely opposite results ; an effect materially assisted, by the unvaried co pulatives of the original ; and no less materially impeded, by the antithetical variations of Dr. Campbell. Further ; " the rivers overflowed ;" this is, at once, less poetical, and less just, than our authorised version, " and the floods came ;" less poetical ; for when rivers are said to OVERFLOW, a mere physical fact is asserted ; but when it is said, " the floods CAME," we have a fine personification : and less just; for there is a departure from the original rjASov and besides, rivers might overflow, without coming near the house, and therefore
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 217
without increasing the danger. Again : " a pru- " dent man — a fool ;" why depart from the strictly antithetical terms of the original, av$gi <p$ovipu> — av$gi pw§w ? Certainly the dignity of our Lord's manner has not been consulted in the departure. And, lastly, " great was its ruin !" — a very unsuccessful effort after emphasis : the simple unpretending re petition of the word fall, is far more expressive: " and it fell ; and the fall thereof was great !"
In making these observations, I would earnestly deprecate the notion, that I feel the slightest dis respect for the memory of Dr. Campbell, or the least disposition to undervalue his labours. Few of his contemporaries rendered more essential service in the department of Scripture-interpretation ; and his Preliminary Dissertations especially, will remain a lasting monument of industry, acuteness, and discrimination, which all students of theology will do well to emulate, and which few can hope to equal. But the acknowledged excellence of Dr. Campbell's most matured, and most elaborate per formance, makes it the more indispensable to hint at his occasional failures ; a duty, indeed, of para mount obligation, when the truths, and even when the beauties, of Sacred Scripture, are in any danger of being, either, misrepresented, or impaired.
Some niceties of phraseology and construction in this passage, ought not to pass unnoticed. In the case of the prudent man, our Lord says o^o/oxrw aurov, I mil liken him : in the case of the foolish man, o^ojcodrjo-grai, he shall be likened. The distinction here, would seem to be studiously dsigned. When
218 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
the wise and fruitful hearer is to be characterised, our Lord HIMSELF institutes the comparison : when the foolish and unprofitable listener, it is otherwise managed ; the comparison is then matter of com- mon fame ; he shall be likened ; as though he were unworthy of Christ's own personal attention. Thus also in the first Psalm :
The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous ; But the way of the ungodly shall perish :
On which Euthymius observes : ra Be ****, w$ av«£<a
T>J£ exsivou yva)o~£W$, ayvosw •srgocrTrojsjTco. * 1 he WICKCQ,
" as unworthy of his recognition, he feigns not to " know." Comment, in Psalm, apud Theophy- lact. torn. iv. p. 348. edit. Venet. 1763.
The verbal distinction in our Lord's discourse, has been observed by some, who give it a milder, and, perhaps, on the whole, a juster colouring. For example, the following inedited Scholium o Photius, inserted by Matthai, in his valuable edi tion of Euthymius on the Gospels, torn. i. p. 290.
on TO pw yev£<r3«J Qgovipov, oux £f» uvsv TTJJ TOU 0£ou ai etrivvoiais. Sio <p»)<nv bp,oiw<ra) avrov av^gi QgovifMO, CIVTI TOV (ruvavTiXvjvj/o/xat xaj (ruvs^yrjcrco si$ TO ra •cya^' aurou otxo- $op,y§svTcx. ft)] S*a7reo-giv, ^s 8<a<p$ag>jvar em %s rco ^co^co, OTJXSTI 6ftoico<ro), «AX' o/xoiw^o-gTai, olov auro? lawreo ainoj efw,
>J; row laurov
T>)? xoAao-gcoj. OUTOJJ »j /xsv TWV a^sTcov XTIJO-IJ, xa» rrj TOU @£ou xaTOg^owTflw %ag*Ti- r] §£ T>JJ agi?, yvwpjj noxtyiot} w <srgo*ige<recp$ vragaTgoTTYi, £7Tiyivi-~
i. " To signify the impossibility of becoming prudent, without the assistance and inspiration
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 219
" of God. Wherefore he saith 'I WILL LIKEN HIM to " a prudent man,' for the purpose of expressing, < I " will give my assistance and co-operation, in order " that his buildings may neither fall, nor moulder " away/ But of the foolish man, he saith not
" * I WILL LIKEN HIM/ but ' HE SHALL BE LIKENED ;'
" as though he were to say, let him blame himself " for his rashness, and his punishment ; for when, " by the pursuit of virtue, he ought to have " attained the kingdom of God, he has, by meddling " in wickedness, made himself a partaker of tor- " ment. Thus, the possession of virtue is accom- " plished by our own diligence, and by the grace " of God : but the practice of evil is superinduced " by viciousness of mind, and by an abuse of free " will." Thus far the Scholium of Photius : Eu- thymius is more briefj but to the same effect : he notices the various reading, in some copies, of o/jwicw- ^o-erai for opoiua-v, in the case of the prudent man ;
and adds, K#AOV 8e xai bpoiw<rw. ^togis yctg TYIS otvTOv /3o>j- $sia$, ou8e;£ ouSev KotrogSoi, " But 6jW,oj«;o-«;, tOO, is a good
" reading : for, without HIS help, no man can " rightly execute any work." Bengel, yet more pointedly, and certainly not less correctly, says, " Salutaria Deus ad se refert : mala a se removet." Of this benevolent decorum there are frequent examples in the New Testament : it may be ac counted a kind of Euphemism ; and, as such, it will be exemplified and illustrated, in a future Section.
Again ; in the case of the prudent man, we read :
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
And FELL upon .... And it did NOT fall. In the case of the foolish man :
And STRUCK upon . . . And it DID fall.
The verb K$O<™™™ is more forcible than the rain, the floods, the winds fell prone with vio lence, upon the prudent man's house, and it did not fall ; they struck, or impinged with less of downright impetuosity, on the foolish man's house, and it did fall. The full force of Trgoo-sTreo-ov, with its context, is expressed with more pomp of words, but not with equal majesty of thought, by Lucretius, in his tremendous description of a thunder-storm : the three following lines I extract, chiefly for the sake of the word prcecipitans, which exactly agrees with
the word
Quo de concussu sequitur gravis imber, et uber, Omnis uti videatur in imbrem vortier aether, Atque ita prcecipitans ad diluviem revocare.
Lib. vi. 290.
A passage twice imitated by the poet of the Seasons :
Then, down at once Precipitant descends a mingled mass Of roaring winds, and flame, and rushing flood.
Summer, 994.
Down comes a deluge of sonorous hail, Or prone-descending rain.
Ibid. 1139.
That the distinction here indicated, between and ^ocrexovj/aj/, was intentional and sig-
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
nificant, may be thought yet more indisputable from the fact, that, in similar parabolical illustra tions of Jewish writers, a like distinction is more broadly stated ; and good men are represented, as sustaining uninjured a severe shock, but wicked men, as sinking under an attack comparatively trifling. Many such passages may be found in Schoettgen, and Wetstein, of which I shall pro duce but the following. " Elisha the son of Abuja " said : If any man has good works, and has studied " much in the law, he is like to a person who so " builds a house, as to lay stones at the founda- " tion, and to place bricks upon them ; and though " afterward many waters come, and dash against " its sides, they cannot move it from its place. " But the man who has not good works, and who " studies much in the law, is like a person who " places bricks at the foundation, and lays stones " upon them ; for if the waters approach, even by " gentle degrees, they overthrow that house. The " one is like a mason, who beds his bricks in " mortar ; and although rains descend, they cannot " move his workmanship : but the other is like " mortar carelessly sprinkled on the bricks, which " on the descent of light and gentle showers, is " .immediately carried away." Aboth Rabbi Nathan, c. 23.
I shall notice but one other circumstance : Bishop Middleton remarks, that, " in S. Luke, [vi. 47, 49.] " the illustration is somewhat different. There the " wise man builds his house, first laying a found- " ation on the rock ; the foolish man builds e?n TVJV
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
" y>jv, and that too, yu^ S^eAiou." The difference, I think, is purely verbal : in some particulars, S. Luke is more full, and S. Matthew more con cise ; in other particulars, S. Matthew is graphi cally descriptive, where S. Luke is silent; but the circumstances are, I conceive, precisely the same. The process of the building, is stated largely by S. Luke : it is not at all stated by S. Matthew in direct terms ; yet it is indirectly brought out, by his use of the word TsSe^eAiw-ro, in describing the stability of the wise man's house : and by his omission of TsSspsXiwro, in describing the downfall of the foolish man's house : an omission the more remarkable, as, could the truth and propriety of things, or, what amounts to the same thing, the moral fitness of the apologue, have allowed it, the clausejor it was
founded upon the rock, at the conclusion of the first stanza, would require, as an equipoise, the clause
for it was founded upon the sand, at the conclusion of the second stanza : we must accordingly infer, that S. Matthew's foolish man built without foundation, no less certainly, than that his prudent man laid a foundation on the rock. The difference between rrjv a/tf/wv, and TJJV y>jv, is easily reconcileable : a sandy soil might be fairly called the sand; or a sand-bank might be truly called the earth. The reconciliation of slight apparent discrepancies in the evangelical writers, is by no means a matter of slight import ance : sometimes weighty truths may be implicated in such cases ; and, at all events, every such recon ciliation, increases the probability, that a closer
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
examination of alleged dissonances, maybe attended with equal success, to an indefinite extent.
The departure from strict verbal parallelism in the closing line of the Sermon on the Mount, is beautifully expressive : in the case of the wise man, there is a most judicious return to the im- moveable rock ; in the case of the foolish man, no final mention is made of the sand : the rock remains ; the sand we are left to imagine, was swept away by the overwhelming deluge : no vestige is produced, either of the edifice, or of the site on which it stood ; and the last impression left upon the mind, is that of irretrievable de struction.
01 otgxovreg TCUV s§mv xaTotxvgisuova-w xoti ol peyotXoi xare£oti<na£oucnv UVTWV, ov% OVTW$ eg-ai ev vpiv «AA* 65 sotv SsAvj sv ti
XOtl 0$ SOiV £Yl SV VfJUV SlVOtl
gfat u/xcov
6 UiOJ TOU
oux rjAdsv ^totKOVT^yvettj aAAa
xai Soyva* rrjv vl'up^vjv CUVTOU Aurgov avrt
The princes of the nations lord it over them ;
And the great ones exercise harsh authority over them ;
It shall not be so among you ;
But whosoever would among you become great,
Shall be your servant ; And whosoever would among you be chief,
Shall be your slave ; Even as the Son of Man Came not to be served, but to serve, And to give his life a ransom for many.
S. Malt. xx. 25—28.
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
In the Greek text of this passage, after the great majority of MSS. &c., and the editions of Bengel and Griesbach, I have, in the third line, omitted 5s from before eg-ar the insertion of it would serve but to forestall and weaken the suc ceeding adversative particle aAAa. In the fifth and seventh lines, for erw, I have substituted £$-<*<, which Griesbach places with an approving mark in his interior margin ; and which agrees with the pre ceding gf a< of the third line : this form of the verb has here the power, both of the future tense, and of the imperative mood; it renders the sentence at once preceptory, and predictive.
Several of the ablest critics have maintained, justly, as I think, that, in the verbs xaraxu^euoucnv and xaTe£ot><na?oy<rii/, the preposition augments the force. Schleusner, Rosenmuller, and others of the modern German school, identify the compound with the simple verbs. In my rendering, I have been careful " not to exhaust the meaning." An objection has been often brought, against attribut ing a bad sense to xars£oucna?ou<nv, from the parallel place, S. Luke, xxii. 25, where egov<rt*tyvres are styled sv^ysroii : Dr. Campbell, however, has pro perly rendered that clause, " and they who oppress " them, are called benefactors ; " a rendering which he has justified in an able note : to his ob servations it may be added, that the vain assump tion on the one side, and the abject conferring on the other, of flattering and pompous titles, have ever been among the most characteristic features of the tyrant and the slave.
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
In rendering the words SMKOVOS and SouAoj, servant and slave, I am supported by Dr. Campbell, whose reasons I am unwilling to abridge ; the more especially, as they tend to confirm some principles advanced in other parts of the present work. " In " the proper and primitive sense of hxxovos, it is a " servant who attends his master, waits on him at " table, and is always near his person to obey " his orders ; which was accounted a more credit- " able kind of service. By the word SouAo?, is not " only meant a servant in general, (whatever kind " of work he be employed in,) but also a slave. " It is solely from the scope and connection that <e we must judge when it should be rendered in " the one way, and when in the other. In the " passage before us, the view in both verses is to " signify, that the true dignity of the Christian " will arise more from the service done to others, " than [from] the power he possesses over them, " We are to judge, therefore, of the value of the words, "from the import of those they are contrasted with. " And, as desiring to be great, is a more mo- " derate ambition than desiring to be chief, we " may naturally conclude, that, as the word op- " posed to the former should be expressive of " some of the inferior stations of life, that opposed " to the latter must be expressive of the lowest, " When this sufficiently suits the ordinary signifi- " cation of the words, there can hardly remain " any doubt. As this is manifestly the case here, " I did not know any words in our language, " by which I could better express a difference in
Q
£26 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
" degree so clearly intended, than by the words " servant and slave. The word minister is now " appropriated to the servants, not of private " masters, but of the public. It is from the " distinctions in private life, well known at the " time, that our Lord's illustrations are borrowed." Campbell on the Gospels, vol. iv. p. 129.
Mr. Wakefield rightly observes, that " this ad- " dress of our Lord is delivered in parallelisms" From want, however, of a more perfect know ledge of the true nature of the cognate parallelism, he has assumed, that the related lines are synony mous ; and, from this unauthorised assumption, he argues, that ^yaAoi is put for ^£7*5-01, and is syno nymous with atgxovTSS' that |U,eya£ also IS put for
peyis-os, and is synonymous with <&gwTog. But this mode of interpretation, the readers of these pages are, I trust, already prepared to set aside, on the real principles of Hebrew poetry; and to con demn, as attributing to HIM, who spake as never man spa/ce, a succession of feeble and unmeaning tautologies. It is an ungracious, and by no means a scholar-like office, to explain away the rich and profluent meaning of words, not one of which is without its own distinct and proper value.
At length, I am enabled to proceed with a more particular examination of S. Matt. xx. 25 — 28. The whole construction of this passage is eminently beautiful ; the several divisions of it are linked to gether by a close, but neither " obvious nor obtru sive" correspondence of related members; which correspondence must be strictly examined, and
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
clearly exhibited, in order to a just disclosure of the sense. The central quatrain may be regarded as the key of the whole paragraph or stanza : it stands connected, antithetically, with the commen cing, and homogeneously, with the concluding triplet : which triplets, again, by the explanatory intervention of the same central quatrain, will approve themselves antithetically parallel with each other, in the introverted order.
The antithesis to be first noticed, is that between the first two lines of the first triplet, and the two distichs of the central quatrain : the lines in ques tion, are severally taken up in the inverted order ; the second line first :
And the GREAT ONES exercise harsh authority over them :
which is provided with its antithetical relative in the first couplet of the adjoining quatrain :
But whosoever would among you become GREAT, Shall become your SERVANT.
The first line of the first triplet is next referred to:
The PRINCES of the nations lord it over them :
antithetical to which, is the second couplet of the central quatrain :
And whosoever would among you be CHIEF ; Shall become your SLAVE.
In the first couplet of the stanza at large, there is an anticlimax, or descending scale of dignity :
oi otgxpvres TWV eSvwv xaraxugiguowty
Q 2
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
The princes of the nations lord it over them ;
And the great ones exercise harsh authority- over them :
the ag^ovreff being kings or autocrats, who rule over their subjects with supreme dominion; xaraxugi- suova-iv : and the ^=yaAoj, only lords or satraps, who exercise over those entrusted to their charge a delegated sway ; KaTsgovvi&fyww.
In the quatrain, on the contrary, there is a cli max, or ascending scale of dignity :
«AA' 0 sav SeA> sv
sctv
But whosoever would among you become great,
Shall be your servant ; And whosoever would among you be chief,
Shall be your slave :
The jaeyas, or great one, is here correspondent to the lords or satraps j and the TT^COTO^, or chief, is equivalent to the «g%ovTs$, kings or autocrats. This change from anti-climax to climax is subservient to a high moral purpose : it shows us, " by due steps," how Christians are to attain the first dig nity of the Christian character ; " he that would " become great, let him be as a servant ; but he « that would become CHIEF, let him be as a SLAVE." In the religion of our crucified Redeemer, the deepest humiliation, is the path to the most exalted pitch of glory : it is thus, in that true sense, of which Stoicism was but the mockery, that men may become not only " priests" but " KINGS unto God." See Revel, i. 6.
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
The third line of the first triplet, — " it shall not be so with you," — though not brought into parallelism with any part of the central quatrain, is by no means inactive, or inefficient ; that it is pro vided with a correspondent or parallel member, we shall presently see : meantime, considered in itself and independently of parallelism, it serves as a most apt transition, from the case of Gentile kings and satraps, to the case of aspirants after Christian greatness and perfection. " It shall not be so among you."
The connection between the central quatrain and the concluding triplet, is, as I have already intimated, not of the antithetical, but of the ho mogeneous kind ; in other words, the parallelism is, what I term cognate. Into this parallelism, the first line of the last triplet does not, strictly speak ing, enter : it is the turning point, or connecting link, between the couplets of the preceding qua train, and the other two lines of the same triplet : and with the last line of the first triplet, it forms an antithetical parallelism, thus :
It shall not be so with you ; Even as the Son of Man :
that is, in other words :
You shall not resemble the ambitious heathen ; But you shall resemble the meek and lowly Saviour of mankind.
The cognate parallelism between the central qua train, and the last two lines of the concluding
Q 3
230 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
'T
triplet, is not in the reversed, but in the direct order : the first couplet of the quatrain, is first provided with its homogeneous relative :
eotv e> sv
6 vi
TOU
But whosoever would among you become great,
Shall be your servant:
[Even as the Son of Man]
Came not to be served, but to serve.
The second couplet of the quatrain, is then simi larly provided :
xcti 6$ euv ^sX>j sv ujouv sivoii
6 1)10$ TOW OtV$gC61TOV
tiovvou ryv 4>y%>)V auroo Xvrgov avn
And whosoever would among you be chief,
Shall be your slave:
[Even as the Son of Man came]
To give his life a ransom for many.
In the first of these parallelisms, the relationship is brought out with strict verbal identity : Siaxovo? • — Siaxovijo-flw a servant, to serve. In the second paral lelism, the verbal coincidence is not equally strik ing, but the reality of agreement is, if possible, more strong. It is not said, that Christ became a slave; but much more; that he gave his LIFE A RANSOM to redeem many from the SLAVERY of sin and death.
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 231
Finally, the commencing and concluding triplets, especially after the above explanatory intervention, approve themselves antithetically parallel, in the introverted order : the last line of the first triplet, we have already seen, is opposed to the first line of the last triplet. The second lines of each are, in like manner, antithetical :
The great ones exercise harsh authority : — Came not to be served, but to serve :
The authority of the oppressive noble, opposed to the voluntary obedience of the servant : while the first line of the commencing, is antithetical to the last line of the concluding triplet :
The princes of the earth lord it over them : — To give his life a ransom for many :
The tyranny of earthly potentates, opposed to the humiliation, even to the death of the cross, of Him
Who is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS,
TWV #AA* 6 -CTOJOJV TO SeAvjjxa TOU urctTgos jw^ou, rou sv ovgctvoi$ :
•CTOAAOf EgOVVl /XOi SV SXSlVYj TV)
xvgie, Kvgis9 ov Koti rca era; OVO^UTI $Qiiu,ovia. xoci TW crco ovOjaar* $uva[jt,£i; xoti TOTS 6/x,oAoyyj<ro; OTI ouSeTTore eyvcov Uj aTrop^co^gjre onr spov ol egyafypevoi ryv otvopiotv.
Not every one who saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of^heaven ; Q 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
But he who doeth the will of my Father, who is in
heaven : Many will say unto me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not in thy name prophesied ?
And in thy name expelled daemons ?
And in thy name performed many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them :
I never knew you ;
Depart from me ;
Ye workers of iniquity.
S.Matt. vii. 21—23.
The poetical grandeur of this passage is excelled only by its moral dignity : we should dwell with delight on the vivid personifications and rapid transitions, here condensed into a few words, if the solemnity of the subject and occasion did not fill us with the deepest awe. On such a passage it were injurious to offer detailed criticism. I shall only desire the reader to contrast the loquacity of their confident appeal, with the majestic brevity of our Lord's reply ; and to observe, that each clause of that reply is, in regular order, opposed to a clause of the appeal :
Lord, Lord, have we not in thy name prophesied ?
I never knew you :
And in thy name expelled daemons ?
Depart from me :
And in thy name performed many wonderful works,
Ye workers of iniquity !
xa» 6 gju,s 8ep£OjW,evo£, Several TOV enrols /Xavra 6 8ep£0|U,6VO£ •crgexpjjTi'jv, ei$ ovopot,
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
XOtl 6 §£p£Ojt/,SVO£ SlXOilOV, El$ OVOf^Oi
KOH 0£ SOiV •GTOTKDJ hot TWV [MXgCOV TOVTODV
uxgou povov, si$ ovopot ju,aS>j7ou, Asyco ufjuv, ov py aTroAscryj rov fj,i<r$ov CIVTQV
He who receiveth you, receiveth me ;
And he who receiveth me, receiveth Him who sent me :
He who receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet ;
Shall obtain the reward of a prophet : And he who receiveth a righteous man, in the name of
a righteous man,
Shall obtain the reward of a righteous man : And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these
little ones
A cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, Verily I say unto you, he shall by no means lose his reward.
S. Matt. x. 40—42,
Here, as in several places of the New Testament, (see especially Heb. xi. 31. S. James, ii. 25.) the verb Sep^oj*«« means to receive with hospitality as a guest: a sense demanded in this passage, by the subsequent gift of a cup of cold water (wo7ijg*ov ^x^ou), which is selected, as the lowest degree of hospitable reception. Olearius and Schoettgen by no means entered into the spirit of the context, when they as signed, as the meaning of Se^so-Saj, to hear, to obey, to believe a teacher's words. Dr. Doddridge translates it entertains; a word too familiar and undignified, especially as applied to the Father, and the Son. Our English verb receive, is a just representative of the original : it, like ^o^evos, has that ambiguity of meaning, which may properly lead the reader's mind from the notion of corporal, to that of spiritual
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
reception ; we use it in familiar discourse to express hospitable entertainment; and it is employed, in our Lord's acceptation of it, by Milton :
.... Some great behest from heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And, what thy stores contain bring forth, and pour Abundance, fit to honour and RECEIVE Our heavenly stranger : well we may afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow, From large bestowed.
Par ad. Lost, v. 311.
The reader can scarcely have failed to observe the beauty of the ascending scale, in the first two lines : receiveth you; receive fh me ; receive th Him who sent me : and of the descending scale, through out the remainder of the passage : receiveth a pro phet; receiveth a righteous man; giveth a cup of cold water to a little one. The ascending scale marks the degree in which God delighteth to honour those, who, from a religious motive, show honour to his servants ; the descending scale marks the certainty of retribution which awaits even the slightest act of Christian kindness : and, while the rewards are adjusted in equitable proportion, it is remarkable, that, for the least and lowest office of brotherly good will, the reward is promised with peculiar emphasis : Verily I say unto you, he shall by no means lose his reward ; that is, according to a familiar idiom both of the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, HE SHALL MOST ASSUREDLY, AND ABUN DANTLY, OBTAIN IT.
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 235
In this passage, Grotius discovers three classes or degrees of our Lord's disciples: 1. The lowest class ; little ones : so called also S. Matt, xviii. 6., S. Mark, ix. 42., S. Luke, xvii. 2. Also termed exaxwi, the least, S. Matt. xxv. 40. 45. v^^, babes, 1 Cor. iii. 1. rexvia and Tvafiia, little children, and infants, 1 S. John, ii. 12, 13.— 2. The middle class; righteous men : so called also, S. Matt. xiii. 17. and elsewhere, as in 1 S. John, ii. 13. veawo-xo/, young men. — 3. The highest class; prophets: so called also S. Matt. xiii. 17. avfyes TS\SIOI, perfect men, Eph. iv. 13. and vrxrsps, fathers, 1 S. John, ii. 13, 14.
Respecting the gift of a cup of cold water, some what remains to be added. The rabbins had a si milar saying : " He who gives food to one that " studies in the law, God will bless him in this " world, and give him a portion in the world to " come." Synops. Sohar. ap. Schoettgen. torn. i. p. 108. Mr. Weston (ap. Bowyer. Conj.) men tions, that the dervises (Mahometan monks) offer cold water to the traveller in the deserts ; no trifling present in those parched and torrid wastes of sand. And Koecher, in his Analecta, cites Beausobre, Remarques, p. 43. for a precept and promise of Zoroaster, or one of his followers, similar to those of our Lord.
There are two interesting historical anecdotes, which finely illustrate the fact, that a cup of cold water only, given from genuine motives of hu manity, or presented as a token of unfeigned respect, shall by no means lose its reward. The
236 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
first is from Josephus, Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. 7. § 6. edit. Hudson. Herod Agrippa, during his impri sonment in the dungeons of Tiberius, was one day in an agony of thirst ; and, seeing a young slave pass by, carrying a vessel of water, implored that he would let him drink of it. The slave willingly, and, doubtless, at some personal risk, complied. The captive monarch assured his humble benefac tor, that, when he regained his liberty, this good deed should not pass unrequited : and he kept his word : he procured the slave's manumission ; made him comptroller of his estates ; recommended him in his dying testament to his heirs, Agrippa and Bernice ; and history, while it hands down the name of this benevolent slave, assures us that Thaumastus reached a good old age, in that station of trust, emolument, and respectability, to which he had been worthily promoted. The moral of this little tale Josephus could not, or would not draw : it may, however, be deduced by the sim plest follower of Christ. If a man, to use the mildest terms, by no means remarkable for virtue, obeyed with such good faith the dictates of a grateful heart, and so recompensed the gift of a single draught of water, what may not be expected from the solemn promise of our gracious Master ? The other is a Persian story, for which we are indebted to the moral taste of Lilian ; Var. Hist, lib. i. cap. xxxiii. It happened, on a certain day, that Artaxerxes Mnemori was making a journey, attended by his court : as the king passed along, his unexpected appearance greatly distressed a
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
Persian traveller, Sinsetes by name. This man, at a distance from home, was wholly unprovided with the means of presenting any one of those gifts, which the law required all subjects to offer to the Persian monarchs, on their royal progress ; and with which he saw the surrounding multitude eagerly advancing. Respect for the laws, and, still more, reverence for his sovereign, filled him with anxiety : but he did not long pause or hesi tate ; he ran, at his utmost speed, to the adjoining river Cyrus ; scooped up some water with both hands ; approached the king, and thus addressed him: "King Artaxerxes, reigri for ever! That " thou mayest not pass by ungifted, I pay my " duty with such materials, and in such a manner, " as my case admits : I pay my duty, with water " from the Cyrus. Should your majesty deign to " approach my dwelling, I hope to offer the best " and richest gifts in my possession." Artaxerxes, filled with delight, addressed his subject in the fol lowing manner: " I accept your gift with plea- " sure : I prize it more than the most splendid " offerings : first, because water is, in itself, the " most excellent of all things ; and then, because " this water bears the name of CYRUS." The story proceeds, that Artaxerxes commanded his attend ants to receive the water in a golden cup ; sent to Singetes a robe of honour, a golden cup, and a thousand Darics ; and commissioned the messenger to say, " The king commands thee, from this cup " to recreate thine own soul, as thou didst recreate " his, nor didst suffer him to pass, ungifted and
238 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
" unhonoured ; but honouredst him, as place and " time permitted. And he wills, that drawing it " with this cup, thou shouldst drink water out of " this river." Thus has history recorded the name, the act, and the reward of him, who be stowed a simple handful of water. The names of proud satraps, and the catalogues of their costly donations, meantime, have sunk into silence and oblivion. Does not this remind one of another gift, and a memorial unspeakably more blessed ? — " Verily, I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel " shall be preached in the whole world, there shall " also this, that this woman hath done, be told for " a memorial of her."
TIVI s Ojtxojoxro; T>JV yeveav
SV
oux
xai
SV 6 uio^ rou av^coTrou, ecr^iwv x«< xai
r) cro<pia «7ro TWV TSXVWV
Whereunto shall I liken this generation ?
It is like children sitting in the market-place ; And calling to their companions and saying : We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced ; We have sung dirges unto you, and ye have not smote
the breast :
For John came, neither eating nor drinking ; And they say, he hath a daemon :
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
The Son of Man came, eating and drinking ;
And they say, behold a gluttonous man, and a wine- bibber ;
A friend of publicans and sinners : But wisdom is justified by her children.
S. Matt. xi. 16—19.
In this beautiful and lively passage, the simile is formed in the Hebrew manner : at the first view, it might appear the intention, to compare the men of that generation with the complaining children ; but it immediately becomes evident, that the similarity lies between tbose men, and the chil dren complained of: the meaning, therefore, pro perly is this : " To what shall I compare the " perversity of this generation ? It is like that " childish frowardness, which you daily witness in " your streets, &c." — " Semel notandum est," says Grotius, " qtiia saepe occurrit, vim istius " dativi [tn-atSa^oj?] non esse ut denotet ipsum com- " parationis terminum, qui plerumque non ilia " proxima voce, sed tota insequenti narratione " continetur."
The comparison itself is drawn, as I have al ready hinted, from the occurrences of every-day life. At Jewish feasts, it was usual to have in strumental music, accompanied with dancing ; and, at Jewish funerals, vocal dirges, accompanied with violent gesticulations of sorrow, especially smiting the breast. These usages were playfully imitated by children ; who divided themselves into two bands, when acting a feast, of players on the pipe, and dancers 5 when acting a funeral, of singers,
240 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
and those who smote the breast. The froward- ness of the accompanying or responsive band in these childish diversions, Dr. Macknight supposes to have passed into a Jewish proverb ; which seems likely, as Grotius quotes the following saying from llabbi Papa, in the Gemara :
I MOURNED for thee, but thou didst not attend ; I LAUGHED for thee, but thou didst not regard.
The imitative faculty of children has probably thus exerted itself in all ages and countries. Epictetus more than once refers to it, in the way of moral illustration ; in one passage very
remarkably : si 5s ^, oga 6-n w$ r« Txatiia av«$-g>a<p>jcnj, «
VVV l*,BV dS^TOtS TZOLlfyl, VVV §5 ^OVO^Oi^OV^' WV &£ (TaATn^gJ, £1T«
TgotywSei. Lib. in. cap. 15. " Otherwise, take no- <c tice, you will behave like children, who now " play wrestlers, now gladiators ; at one time blow " the trumpet, and at another act tragedies."
Mr. Weston (ap. Bowyer's Conj.) cites a curious example of this oriental manner of illustration, out of Cyrus's answer to the ambassadors from Sardis ; in which he compares the lonians to fish that would not dance when they were piped to:
STTSl OVK £//,£0 auAsOVTO^ ^sXSTS SK&OIIVSIV 0()%SO{A£V(H. XierOQOt.
Clio, p. 58. ed. Gronov, See also Wolfius, Cur. Phil, for a similar proverbial saying from ^Esop.
The rendering of exo\I/ao-3=, smote the breast, is recommended ; 1. by the known usage of the Jews on such occasions 2. by the obvious ellipsis in the original : so Bos, Ellips. p. 274. " exotya<rds, subint. ra $-egvY), rot s">j0>j." Leisner, indeed, and
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
Schoeffer, do not admit an ellipsis, urging the force of the middle verb, xonrsa-aai, soil. MXTSIV SOIVTOV, to smite one's self; and maintaining, that wherever s-sgvov is added, it is pleonastic : rather, it should be said, wherever $-s^vov, or some other substantive, is not added, there must still be an ellipsis : to smite one's self, is indefinite ; to smite one's self on the breast, is a definite and complete sense : 3. by the parallelism of members : o^yjo-ao-Ss conveys the notion of bodily action, expressive of joy ; e therefore, being antithetically correlative with c-ao-Ss, ought to convey the notion, not merely of mental sorrow, but of bodily action, expressive of that sorrow. See Mr, Wakefield, Comment, on S. Matthew.
Commentators have largely illustrated this pas sage, from the funereal and tragic lamentations of the Greeks and Romans. Grotius and Mr. Wake- field are particularly full : the former, among othei passages, cites the following from the Troades of Seneca ; it is the Trojan dames who speak :
Tibi nostra ferit dextra lacertos, Humerosque ferit tibi sanguineos : Tibi nostra caput dextera pulsat.
He ought not to have omitted the previous calls of Hecuba, for those lamentations of the chorus ; calls, which, unlike those to the froward children in S. Matthew, are promptly answered :
Ferite palmis pectora, et planctus date :
ssevite manus,
Pulsu vasto tundite pectus. R
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
Mr. Wakefield refers to Euripides, Troad. vers. 6%3 : the action, however, is still better explained by v. 789 of the same tragedy. Dr. Joshua Barnes gives some additional references and information in his notes. Mr. W. also cites, as an apposite illustration, that chorus of the Persas of ^Eschylus, which begins at v. 531 : one female appears to be the chief speaker, and the other to accompany her with interjections of sorrow. Towards the close, however, of that tragedy, that is, from about the 910th line to the end, there is matter considerably more apposite, to which it is extraordinary that Mr. Wakefield did not invite attention. Xerxes repeatedly calls to the chorus, as our Lord re presents the children calling to their play-fellows ; and, with a directly opposite issue, excites them to heighten their demonstrations of sorrow, in voice, in words, in alternate vociferations ; by smiting the breast, by tearing their garments, and by plucking out their hair from the root. The whole passage, too long for insertion, will richly repay those who may choose to consult the original. Mr. Potter's translation, it must be ob served, is here particularly inadequate.
In the truly dramatic passage, S. Matthew, xi. 17, &c., there is a fine epanodos : a mode of con struction, respecting which much has been said in an earlier part of this work, and to which a separate section shall be presently devoted. The reproachful address of the children to their play mates is divided into two branches :
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced ; We have sung dirges unto you, and ye have not smote the breast.
Of these, the second line is first paralleled :
We have sung dirges unto you, and ye have not lamented : John came, neither eating nor drinking ; And they say, he hath a daemon :
the first line is then paralleled :
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced : The Son of Man came eating and drinking ; And they say, behold a gluttonous man, and a wine- bibber ; A friend of publicans and sinners.
The object of the epanodos, it will be recol lected, is, to place first and last, the leading, characteristical, and emphatical propositions or members, of a paragraph or subject ; and to place in the centre those members which are subordinate in importance, or less prominent in the scope of the existing subject-matter. In this view, the distribution of parallelisms in this pas sage, is important and instructive : the festive playfulness of the children is first noticed, and lastly, the disengaged and open cheerfulness of our Lord's deportment : while, on the contrary, the funereal dirges of those young tragedians, and the self-denying austerities of S. John Baptist, are placed obscurely in the centre. A collocation which pointedly indicates, that a chastened hilarity is the genuine characteristic of our holy religion ; and that a severer, and more gloomy system is but
R 2
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
subordinate and subsidiary. At the same time, the last line of the stanza gives us to understand, that both methods answer an important purpose ; that neither the seclusion of the followers of S. John, nor the more approachable urbanity of the followers of our blessed Lord, can be properly a subject of animadversion : for,
Wisdom is justified by her children : or, as it stands in the parallel place of S. Luke, Wisdom is justified by ALL her children :
that is, all true and faithful Christians, whatever, by constitution, discipline, or habit, may be the character of their minds, and complexion of their lives, whether austere, after the manner of S. John Baptist, or divinely cheerful, after the manner of our Lord, — ALL will, alike in substance, though diversely in manner and degree, by the rectitude of their principles, and the purity of their conduct, vindicate the honour of that ?' wisdom from above," which is, the parent, the guide, and the instruc tress of them all.
One more example shall conclude this section.
aSotivsTs T>JV gvroA»jv TOV ©sou, S/« T>JV uju-cov;
TOV TTOiTsgoi crou, xoti TVJV
<, 6 xaxoAoywv Trars^a >j pjrsgxx, davara? TsAgurara;
Aeyers*
av siTnij rto TTOirgi, >j T*j
xat ou ju,yj Ti^o"*j TOV irare^a aurou, )) T>JJ/ pYiTega OLVTOV rrjv gvroA>jv TOU
SECT. XII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
And why do ye transgress the commandment of God, by
your tradition ? For God commanded, saying :
Honour thy father and thy mother ;
And he who revileth father or mother, let him die
the death : But ye say :
Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, [be that] a gift, by which thou mightest have been relieved from me ;
Must also not honour his father or his mother : Thus have ye nullified the commandment of God by your tradition.
S. Matt. xv. 3—6.
The mere exhibition of the parallelisms in this confessedly obscure passage, tends in no slight degree to its elucidation : the two small connective
clauses 6 ya^ @50£ sverejAaTO Asytov, and U[j,ei$ $e Aeyere,
form an antithetic parallelism, and as such I have arranged them : with respect, however, to the construction of the stanza, they may be left out ot consideration ; being similar to the " Ye have said," and " thus saith JEHOVAH," which so fre quently occur as connecting links, in the poetry of the prophets. Now, omitting those clauses, the remainder of the passage constitutes a six-lined stanza, of the introverted or epanodostic kind, thus :
And why do ye transgress the commandment .... Honour thy father ....
And he who revileth father .... Whosoever shall say to his father .... Must also not honour his father .... Thus have ye nullified the commandment, &c, R 3
246 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
The whole difficulty lies in the central quatrain : in the first two lines of it, a two-fold command ment of God is authoritatively cited ; in the last two lines, a two-fold breach of that commandment is criminatively charged upon the Pharisees : the commandment divides itself into, 1. the honour due to parents, meaning especially pecuniary main tenance, and support; this occupies the first line of the quatrain, Honour thy father, fyc. : 2. the pro hibition of injurious language towards parents ; this occupies the second line, And he who revileth father, 8$c. The criminative charges are brought for ward, and established, in the inverted order : the crime of using injurious, and even imprecatory language to parents, is brought home in the third line, Whosoever shall say tohis father, <fyc. : and, lastly, the crime of failing to honour, that is, to maintain or relieve indigent parents, is brought home in the fourth line, Must also not honour his father, $c. The reason of this inverted order, or epanodos, is clear : the original and great offence was, the evasion of that law, which bound children to support their parents; the offence of using injurious language, was subor dinate and subservient ; it was but a means of carrying the other offence into full effect ; that, therefore, which constituted the end, is put first and last : the means are enclosed in the central couplets.
That the crime of using towards parents, injuri ous and even imprecatory language, is by our Lord imputed to the Pharisees, I would thus establish : when they wished to evade the duty of affording
SECT, XII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 247
relief to their parents, they made a. pretended, or, at best, an eventual dedication of their property to the sacred treasury ; or rather, a dedication of all that could or might, have been given by them to their parents ; saying, be it corban, be it a gift, be it a con secrated or devoted thing: from that moment, though at liberty to expend such property on any selfish pur pose, they were prohibited from bestowing it on their parents : to themselves, if they gave, and to their parents if they received, any part of this devoted property, it was accounted sacrilege ; and, as such, would draw down malediction both on the receiver,, and the giver. To say, therefore, to a parent, be it a gift, was an aggravated breach of the commandment : it was not only to revile, but to curse. Between the end of the third, and begin- ning of the fourth line of the quatrain, it has been usual to supply some words, for the purpose of fill ing up a supposed ellipsis ; our authorised English version, for example, supplies the words, he shall be free: any such addition, however, is quite need less : the context has within itself the full mean ing : " whosoever shall say. &c. ; must also not " honour," &c. : he is under an obligation not to do so : a sense yet more fully brought out, in the
parallel place, S. Mark, vii. 1^. xa* ouxsli otfyere aurov
oitSev -sroDjo-a* TOO ts-aJgj, x. T. A. " Ye suffer him no " more to do aught for his father," &c. Thus, the very door of repentance was shut ; and by a most hypocritical abuse of the sacred name of religion, the son who had once, and perhaps hastily, acted an unnatural part towards his parent, was doomed to
it 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XII.
continue an unnatural child all the days of his life. Well, therefore, might our blessed Lord re-assert, as he does with incomparable dignity, and with aggra vated force, the charge with which he commences this indignant recrimination : his first words are :
TOV ©sow, tiiot r>jv
And why do ye TRANSGRESS the commandment of God, by your tradition ?
His last words describe as consummated, a far more weighty crime than mere transgression :
TY,V svTO^v TOV 0goy, $iot T-qv -oragaSocnv u
Thus have ye NULLIFIED the commandment of God, by your tradition.
Respecting this passage, those who wish for addi tional information, may consult with advantage the following commentators : Erasmus, Lud, Cappel, Grotius, Poole (Synops.), Dr. Campbell, Wetstein, Clarius, Zegerus, Masius, Camero, Wolfius, Koe- cher, Eisner, Lightfoot, and Dr. Doddridge.
249
SECTION XIII.
SEVERAL stanzas are often so connected with each other, as to form a paragraph or Section : a few examples of this description shall be given :
soturoig
MIX. OTOiV SXAJTTVJT?, Sc^OOVTCU V[Jt,Ot$ £1$ T0i$ OilCUVlOV$
6 -crjfoj sv £Aa;£<rco,
XiU cV OTOAACO 'GT/fO£ SgV
xa< 6 gy sAa^ifW a^xoj,
xai ev 'sroAAo) a§<xo£ sfjv : e< ouv ev TO; «§<x«; ^a^cavoi -sng'Oi oux
TO aA>j-&ivov T»J U/AJV tzrjfgu(re< j xai e; sv rco aAAor^co isr<fO» oux
TO VfASTSgOV Tl$ UfJilV £cO(Tc< 5
TOV Iva u,KTYi<rsi, xa< TOV ersgov
»J EVOJ OiV^S^STOity XOtl TOV STSgOV
ou
Make to yourselves friends with the unrighteous mammon; That, when ye fail, they may receive you into the ever
lasting tents : He who is faithful in the least,
In much also is faithful ; And he who in the least is unjust,
In much also is unjust : If, therefore, in the unrighteous mammon, ye have not
been faithful,
Who will entrust you with the true ? And if in the possessions of another, ye have not been
faithful, Who will give you possessions of your own ?
250 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
No domestic can serve two masters :
For either he will hate the one and love the other ;
Or he will adhere to the one, and neglect the other ; Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
S. Luke, xvi. 9—13.
I have rendered r^ aiwviou$ o-xyvoi$, the everlasting tents : not omitting the article, because it is here significant, and even emphatic, see Dr. Campbell in loc. ; and giving the literal English of o-xrjvrj, be cause the force and beauty of that word, in this place, have been overlooked by the commentators. " What aiwwoi o-xrjvai are," says Dr. H. Owen, ap. Bowyer's Conject., " I do not understand. There " seems to be a sort of contradiction in the expres- " sion ; for <™>]vai are only temporary conveniences, " Heb. xi. 9. 2 Sam. vii. 6. awvioi, are eternal." This catachresis, to my apprehension, has a fine effect : the everlasting tents ; not such perishable tents as you set up here ; but tents that will endure for ever : it is a word which forcibly calls up the recollection, that here we have no abiding habit ation ; and which may serve to impress the convic tion, that, in heaven, God imparts his own eternity to things, which, in themselves, might naturally be accounted void of duration as the " cottage of a night."
In the last quatrain of this extract, we have a fine example of epanodos; which I propose to illustrate in a future Section.
ovv rw
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
rco
syyivars
,(>$iot$,
xot,i
SVCOTHOV rou
God setteth himself in array against the proud ;
But to the humble he showeth favour ;
Range yourselves therefore in due order under God :
Stand against the Devil ;
And he will flee from you : Draw near to God ;
And he will draw near to you :
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners ;
And purify your hearts, ye double-minded :
Be astonied, and wail, and weep ;
Let your laughter be turned into wailing ;
And your joy into dejection :
Humble yourselves before the Lord,
And he will exalt you.
S. James, iv. 6 — 10.
The orderly connection, and the distinct moral gradations of this passage, are eminently beautiful and instructive.
In the first triplet, God is described, as setting himself in battle-array against the proud, but hold ing out terms of peace, reconciliation, and favour,
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
to the humble ; whence, the apostle exhorts those whom he is addressing, humbly to enroll themselves under God, and firmly to keep their ranks.
In the succeeding quatrain, the military meta phor is continued : stand against the Devil, as valiant soldiers; and he will Jlee from you: draw near to God, as to the captain of your salvation ; and he will draw near to you, and protect you with his invulnerable shield. In the next couplet, the metaphor is dropt, and the moral meaning stands forth : it is shown how those who had newly en rolled themselves, here termed sinners, or trans gressors, are to resist the Devil ; namely, by cleans ing their hands, that is, abstaining from wicked actions : and how the double-minded, that is, per sons wavering between long-confirmed habits of evil, and incipient wishes to become good, are to draw near to God; namely, by purifying their hearts, that is, by getting an inward principle of goodness.
But how is this to be attained? On the one hand, we cannot give it to ourselves : on the other hand, God will not grant it to lazy wishes, and half-formed resolutions. A preparatory process must take place ; and this process, the prevenient grace of God is ever at hand, to facilitate and prosper : the process, namely, of sincere repent ance. In the next triplet, accordingly, the work ings of repentance are graphically described. In the first line there is a fine gradation, exactly in the order of nature : be astonied, and wail, and weep. Let your first feeling be like that oppressive
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
and stunning sensation, which takes place on the sudden pressure of a great weight of sorrow : on the first discovery of your deep moral wretched ness, nothing short of this will suffice ; therefore BE ASTONIED : this first shock cannot be of long duration ; nature could not long sustain it ; let it then have its proper vent ; break forth into strong and passionate expressions of sorrow, like sincere mourners at the grave of some departed friend ; — WAIL : but these more violent emotions will sub side ; let them subside, then, into a softened, a more tender, a more heart-improving grief; and let the outward expression of that grief.be suitable ; WEEP: but such outward expressions are all tempo rary ; arid so is the class of emotions from whence they proceed : the penitent, therefore, must be led to a more abiding state of mental discipline ; and, for this result, provision is made in the two addi tional lines of the triplet :
Let your laughter be turned into wailing ; And your joy into dejection :
Of these lines, the first recapitulates, as it were, the state of temporary sorrow ; wailing is but an action of the feelings when excited, not a calm habitual temper of the mind and heart ; it is most correctly opposed to laughter, also the temporary effect of temporary excitement. The next line describes not any thing external, or dependent in any degree on animal impressibility : it is a dispo sition whose root is in the heart; dejection is a sense of sorrow mingled with shame ; the daughter
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
of contrition, and the parent of humility ; most suitably opposed to the senseless joy * of the trans gressor ; an inward habit too, but of a character the most inconsistent with a Christian spirit. An other less obvious, but not less important nicety, should not be overlooked. The outward act of wailing, corresponds with the outward cleansing of hands, in a preceding line ; and, in like manner, the inward feeling of dejection, agrees with that inward purification of heart, so lately, and so forcibly enjoined.
The closing couplet happily terminates this moral process : the fruit of well-attempered dejec tion is religious humiliation before God ; with this the apostle had commenced ; with this, also, he concludes ; annexing only the sure and certain result and reward of humiliation, so pursued, and so attained. The subject is now complete j and the completion infinitely glorious :
Humble yourselves before the Lord, And he will exalt you !
I shall now endeavour, briefly to establish the philological propriety of the meanings just attri buted to some words of the original. The reality of the military allusion in the first two stanzas will not, I presume, be questioned by any scholar who considers both the primitive sense and the
united power of the words, avnTao-o-erai, u7roray>jTS,
and tpsujgra* : see Schleusner's Lexicon, and
* A joy, it is almost needless to say, the very reverse of that JOY, which constitutes part of " the kingdom of God."
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
the Commentary of Pott, on this place. In ren dering p^pjv, favour, I have followed the obvious bearing of the context; and 1 am supported by the best lexicographers and interpreters. TaKouirw^are literally signifies that kind of suffering, which arises from sustaining the weight of a prodigious stone ; and hence, metaphorically, the oppressive and stunning sensation arising from a heavy load of sorrow : this I have rendered by the word astonied ; the nearest approach probably afforded by our language, to the full meaning ; see Mr. Todd's edition of Johnson's Dictionary; especially his last citation from Milton under this word. orsv&jo-aTs is, properly, to lament for the dead ; to wail ; a more clamorous expression of sorrow : xAayo-are, from xAaia;, to weep ; a gentler, and more moderated expression of sorrow : x«T»j<peia is that feeling of mingled grief and shame, which ex presses itself by downcast eyes. See Wetstein and Schleusner; especially the definition by them cited from the Etymol. Magn. : dejection is the nearest English word; it is more than sorrow, and less than despair, as we may conclude from Milton's use of it :
What besides
Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring :
it is also well suited to express a calm religious grief: " Adoration," says Bishop Pearson, " im- " plies submission and dejection; so that, while " we worship, we cast ourselves down." For the former of these illustrations, I am indebted to
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
Dr. Johnson ; for the latter, to Mr. Todd ; Diet. Voce, DEJECTION.
It is worthy of observation, that our great poet, in describing the moral process of the repentance and restoration of our first parents after the fall, makes them pass through several stages, exactly correspondent with those laid down by S. James : the stages, namely, of silent and oppressive heavi ness; of wailing, or loud lamentation; of weeping, or softened sorrow ; of dejection ; of humiliation ; and of exaltation, consequent upon that humble frame of spirit. The leading passages may be given in order, without any comment, as a spe cimen of Milton's skill, in the depths, at once, of the human heart, and of the best theology :
1. ASTONIMENT.
Silent, and in face Confounded, long they sat, as stricken mute.
Par ad. Lost, B. ix. .1063.
2. WAILING.
And in a troubled sea of passion tost,
Thus to disburden sought, with sad complaint.
B.x. 719.
Thus Adam to himself lamented loud Through the still night.
B.x. 845.
3. WEEPING. .... Both confess'd
Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd : with tears Watering the ground.
B.x. 1100. 4. DEJECTION.
Thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant stood Praying ; for from the mercy-seat above
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
Prevenient grace descending had removed The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh Regenerate grow instead ; that sighs now breath' d Unutterable ,- which the spirit of prayer Inspired, and wing'd with speedier flight Than loudest oratory : yet their port Not of mean suitors.
Parad. Lost, B. xi. 1.
5. HUMILIATION.
Therefore to his great bidding I submit ; This most afflicts me, that, departing hence, As from his face I shall be hid, deprived His blessed countenance : .....
...... ... Yetrecall'd
To life prolong'd and promis'd race, I now Gladly behold though but his utmost skirts Of glory : and far. off Ms steps adore.*
B. xi. 314. 333
6. EXALTATION.
This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum Of wisdom ;..........
........... Only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable ; add faith, Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love By name to come call'd charity, the soul Of all the rest : then wilt thou not be loth To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A Paradise within thee, happier far.
B. xii. 575. 587.
aye vuv ot -crAoixnoj, xXaycrars,
67TJ TCtl$ TOLXotl7TU)giai$ UjXCOV T0tl
o crAoyTO£ fywov o-scnjTrs'
xa« rot IpctTiot Ujxcov <ryjTo£ga;Ta yeyovsv
* See S.Luke, xviii. 13. S
258 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII
xcti 6 tog atmw si; paprvgiov vfj.iv s?oti, xoti (fioiysToti TX$ (rotgxot$ ufLouv wg
sv
iSou 6 jtx/crSoj T«JV sgyarow TODV ajU^cravTcov rag
6 oiTTSfsgYipsvo; a(
KCII oil flow TOM
si$ ra wra Ku^iou cra^acwd
$ sv
rov
Come now, ye rich men, weep, howl,
For the stunning afflictions which are coming upon you ;
Your riches are putrified ;
And your robes are moth-eaten :
Your gold and silver are cankered with rust ;
And their rust shall be a witness against you ;
And shall eat your flesh as fire :
Ye have laid up treasures for the last days !
Behold ! the hire of the labourers who have reaped your
fields,
Fraudfully kept back by you, crieth : And the outcries of those who have gathered in your
harvest,
Have entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts : Ye have lived delicately upon the earth ; ye have been
luxurious ;
Ye have pampered your hearts, as for a day of slaughter ; Ye have condemned, ye have slain the Just One ; He is not arrayed against you !
James, v. 1 — 6.
This tremendous apostrophe to the unbelieving Jews is in the grandest style of Hebrew poetry. It is almost as though one of the old prophets had risen from the dead, to announce to his
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
wretched countrymen their impending ruin ; the just retribution about to overtake their avarice, their oppression, their fraud, their abandoned lux- ury, and their cruel thirst of blood. Dr. Mac- knight has justly observed, that, in this passage, " the apostle hath introduced figures and ex- " pressions, which, for boldness, vivacity, and " energy, might have been used by the greatest " tragic poet ; and which, if they had been found " in any of the writings of Greece or Rome, would " have been praised as exceedingly sublime/' The first thing to be observed, is the climax
in the terms xAauo-are, oXoXv^are, r«Aa<7rco^a^, Weep,
howl, stunning afflictions: an exact inversion of the descending series in the last example ; r«Aa<-
Trw^crars, KM 'crev^yjcrar^ xca xAaucraTS, be astOnied> and
Wail, and weep: with this only difference, that oXoAu^ars is substituted for vTev§Yi<roiTe9 a more voci ferous, for a more plaintive expression of sorrow : the one, indicative of penitence ; the other, of despair. The descending scale marks, that the sorrows of the penitent are daily mitigated ; the ascending series intimates, that the pangs of the impenitent are for ever on the increase.
The parallelism of lines 3 and 4 has, I find, been noticed by Professor Pott, in his elaborate edition and Commentary. The enumeration of the various kinds of wealth, is a poetical ampli fication, containing also a climax. Three kinds of wealth are intended : 1 . stores of corn, wine, oil, &c., liable to putrefaction : 2. wardrobes of rich garments ; among the ancients, and especially
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
the oriental nations, a principal portion of their wealth, and proverbially the prey of the moth ; see Isaiah, li. 8. : and 3. treasures of gold and silver; liable to rust, or, at least, to change of colour. Many commentators, indeed, have ob served, that gold will not rust ; but Kypke cites Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, to show, that this metal is sometimes liable to a kind of corrosion : the fact, however, is, that, in keeping with the whole of this truly poetical context, S. James intimates something beyond the order of nature ; your very gold rusts. The climax in this three-fold distri bution of wealth is manifest : — the splendid robes were more costly than the provisions ; the vessels of gold and silver, more precious than the accumu lated wardrobes. It is worth being mentioned, that, when Alexander took Persepolis, in which city he "found heaped together all the treasures of Asia, those treasures consisted not only of gold and silver, but also of garments : " Aurum argen- " tumque cumulatum erat : vestis ingens modus." Quint. Curt. lib. v. cap. 6.
S. James, in his poetry, is at least equal to the finest of the classics : thus Menander :
KCU -sravra rot. Xuju.aivojtxsv eveg-iv olov o ju,ev J0£ TOV cn&rjgov, «v 70 S5 J^aTJOV o»
Each thing within itself the seed contains Of its own ruin : rust consumes the steel ; Moths fret the garment.
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
and Horace :
Si et stramentis incubet unde-
Octoginta annos natus, cui stragula vestis, Blattarum et tineartim epulae putrescat in area.
Sat. Lib. ii. Sat. 3.
If at fourscore of straw he made his bed, While moths upon his rotting carpets fed.
FRANCIS.
The context of this passage of the Roman sati rist has a further agreement with the enumeration of S. James ; each of them specifies the stores of the granary, the wardrobe, and the coffer. The cerugo of the precious metals rising as a witness against avaricious hoarders, is a very noble personi fication : and the terror is heightened, when, in the next line, it becomes a fire that preys upon their vitals : am I deceived, or is not this worthy of ^Eschylus or Pindar? That, however, which in a classical author, would be merely a fine poetic image, was here, in all probability, an accurate prediction of some future event ; and may have had its accomplishment in some stage of the Jewish war, if not among the calamities of that most ca lamitous of sieges, which the words of inspiration had elsewhere almost historically described, and to which, it can be scarcely doubted, S. James is here, at least in general terms, referring. Josephus (Bell. Jud. v. xiii. 4. ed. Hudson,) records the fol lowing tremendous fact : let the reader apply it as he pleases. The wealthy Jews, towards the con clusion of the war, were put to the severest tor tures, in order to extract a discovery of their
s 9
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
wealth : these wretched men resorted to every artifice of concealment ; among the rest, several of them swallowed large quantities of gold : this practice did not escape the vigilance of their enemies : and (horrible to relate !) in search of this murder-making treasure, the bowels of two thou sand Jews were, in one night, ripped open. The last line of this stanza excels in that, which, if the phrase be allowable, I would term sarcastic sub limity; a combination of qualities frequently observ able in the most lofty of the prophets : ^au^o-are ev evxaTous wegous' " Ye have laid up treasures for the " last days :" — treasures ! — but of what kind ? Let the last days tell : the days of the destruction of your nation. S. Paul (Rom. ii. 5.) fully enun ciates what S. James indignantly suppresses : 3>j- O-CWQ^IS o-soiVTM ogyyv sv ypegx ogyw " and treasurest up for thyself wrath, against the day of wrath." In the one place, we have the explicitness of the reasoning theologian : in the other place, the somewhat ob scure SSWOTYIS of the prophet : these are equally in character ; and such marks of individuality of composition, are no slight indications of authen ticity in the sacred writers.
The transition to another branch of the subject, and the commencement of a new stanza, are, in the next line, marked by the apostrophising adverb ;§6u, which, it will be observed, answers to the ays of the first stanza : come ; behold. It has been justly noticed by commentators, that there is a fine gradation in the first four lines of this stanza : first, the hire of the labourers, then the labourers them-
SECT. XIII.]] SACRED LITERATURE.
selves, are made to call for vengeance. It may be added, that, in the other terms of the quatrain, the climax is maintained ; we have the reapers ad vanced upon, by the gatherers : the hire of the for mer crying, the latter themselves breaking forth into shoutings or clamorous outcries : and, as the consummation of the climax, those outcries pene trate the ears of the Lord of Hosts. Thus magni ficently has the apostle combined the spirit of the law and the prophets ; collecting his materials from Moses, and from Malachi ; from the first and from the last of the sacred canon. The wages of him that is hired, shall not abide with thee all night, until the morning. Levit. xix. 13. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant : ... at his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it : . . . lest he cry against thee unto the Lord. Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. And I will be a swift witness against those who oppress the hireling in his hire. Malachi, iii. 5. * A passage, this last, the more deserving of attention, in this connexion, from the context in which it stands ; the description, namely, of the coming of the Messenger of the covenant to judgment against his foes. Hence we
* The fraudful detainers of their servants' hire stood con victed, not only by the denunciations of the law and the pro phets, but even by the moral lessons of their own rabbins. For example : " When a poor man discharges, in any house, " any servile office, the vapour proceeding from his body " through the severity of his labour, ascends towards heaven ; " woe therefore to that master of a family, who delays the " payment of the poor man's hire." Synops. Sohar. p. 100. N. 45.
s 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
at once perceive the propriety and naturalness of the apostle's next transition : we have the same luxurious profligacy, leading to the same terrible destruction, on which the last of the prophets ex patiated, while describing " the great and terrible day of the Lord :"
Ye have lived delicately upon the earth, ye have been
luxurious ; Ye have pampered your hearts, as for a day of slaughter :
words manifestly predicting the sanguinary havoc of the Jewish war; which, be it remembered, extended far beyond the limits of Palestine ; and, in almost every direction, reached the Jews of the dispersion, to whom especially, S. James is addressing himself. Josephus informs us, that, in one massacre, fifty thousand Alexandrine Jews were put to the sword. Respecting the last two lines of the passage, the contradictory opinions of interpreters are well known : I cannot but very decidedly agree with those, who understand TON AIKAION, THE JUST ONE, emphatically to mean Christ: 1. because, as Bishop Middleton well observes, the hypothetical use of the article would here be much too strong ; and the strictly definitive use, would point, out THE eminently JUST ONE ; 2. because our Lord is fre quently so styled in the New Testament, particu larly by S. Peter, Acts, iii. 14, Id. u^eis fe TON «y<ov
X.UI AIKAION «gV>J<r#0-'Se, TOV Se «£%>jyov T>J£ %CUY)$ AIIEKTEINATE'
— " But ye have refused the holy and THE JUST ONE ; and the Prince of life ye have KILLED ;" also by S. Stephen, Acts, vii. 5. TOT AI^AIOT, o
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 265
HPOAOTAI KQU $ONEI2 ysysvrjo-^e- " THE JUST ONE, of
" whom ye now have been the BETRAYERS and MUR- " DERERS ;" in this passage, we have not only TOT AIKAIOY, but the substantives «rgo8o7«i and (povei$, answer
ing tO the tWO Verbs in S. James, xotTetimourofle, s<povev<roile'
and 3. because the persecution and murder of our Lord was the great national transgression of the Jews ; and therefore likely to be mentioned by S. James as the consummation of their apostasy, Objections have been made: 1. that Christ was slain at least thirty years before ; and therefore S. James could not have visited his death on the existing generation ; to which may be replied, that the murderers imprecated the consequences on their children : 2. it has been objected, that the Jews of the dispersion were not involved in this guilt ; to which may be answered, that multi tudes of the dispersion were present at the time of our Lord's last passover, as they were at the follow ing feast of Pentecost, As to the last line, Dr. Bentley's ingenious, but unauthorised conjecture, of 6 Kvgio$ for oux, that is, oH for OYK, has been pretty generally rejected : some would use a note of in terrogation thus :
oux otVTiTa.<r<r£Toti
Is he not arrayed against you ?
but this may surely be pronounced quite unneces sary. Bishop Middleton's decision is a sound one ; " I am of opinion, that he, meaning Christ, " carried on from TOV Sixaiov, is the nominative to «v- and that the sense is, — The Saviour
26(5 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
" opposes not your perverseness, but leaves you a " prey to its delusion." To me, this close appears full of the same ironical SSJVOT^ already observed in the conclusion of the preceding stanza: HE is NOT ARRAYED AGAINST YOU : you feel secure ; you despise the crucified, as still powerless to vindicate his own cause, and to protect his followers : but wait : the time of his array will come ; the day of ven geance is at hand !
In different parts of this prophetic poem (for so, with the strictest propriety, it may be termed), but especially in its concluding quatrain, a beautiful peculiarity demands our attention. Throughout the composition both of the Old and New Test aments, a well known characteristic feature is the multiplied use of the copulative particles vau, or KOH -. in the higher kinds of poetry, however, the copulative is sometimes dropt for a long series of lines ; and with increased effect, from the general prevalence of the opposite usage. The most con tinuous and well-sustained examples of this poetical anomaly, may perhaps be found in the noble SKI- vixiov, or triumphal ode of Deborah and Barak, Judges, chap. v. One or two specimens follow :
O Jehovah, at thy going forth from Seir,
At thy marching from the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, even the heavens poured down,
Even the clouds poured down water.
V. 4.
The kings came, they fought ;
Then fought the kings of Canaan ;
In Taanac, above the waters of Megiddo ;
The plunder of riches they did not take :
SECT. XIII.] SACKED LITERATURE. 267
From the heavens fought the stars ;
From their lofty stations they fought against Sisera :
The torrent of Kison swept them away ;
The torrent of Kedummim, the torrent of Kison ;
My soul hath trodden down strength.
V. 19, 20.
Now, this very peculiarity of construction S. James has followed ; and followed it, manifestly from the high poetical impulse, which raised him, for the time, above the ordinary linked sententiousness of Hebraic composition :
$ sv TOV
Ye have lived delicately upon the earth ; ye have been
luxurious ;
Ye have pampered your hearts as for a day of slaughter : Ye have condemned, ye have slain the JUST ONE ; He is not arrayed against you.
In the first of these lines, I have ventured to drop the copulative particle KOH from before so-vara- tya-ars, on the following grounds: 1. it is omitted in the Alexand. MS., in 73 of Griesbach, and in the Coptic Version ; 2. the omission accords with the general character of the context ; 3. the insertion of xa» by early transcribers may be ac counted for, from their generally finding clauses so coupled in the New Testament ; 4. in the next line but one, the two verbs, xotTstimourotTs, etpoveu- c-are, are without the copulative ; and so, by the laws of Hebrew parallelism, ought the verbs er^u-
, e<T7T<5<TaA>)cr<XTe, in this line.
268 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
We should perhaps also read a former couplet thus :
o OTAouTOs vfj,oov
TCX. ipctTia. vpoov o-yjTO^cora yeyovsv :
Your riches are putrified ; Your robes are moth-eaten :
the xw before I^ana being omitted in the MSS 30. of Griesbach, and in the edit. Colb.
ayaTrars TOV s Ta sv Tea
sotv Ti£ cnyaTTot. TOV xo<r[j,ov,
ovx, e^iv YJ aya?r>j TOD -craT^o^ sv
or* -srav TO sv rco
xoti y £7r»UjW,<a TCOV xa< r; aAa^oveia rou oyx sfiv ex TOU x TOU
xa<
KOH Y) STTJ-UjU-Ja aUTOU*
6 Ss -STOJCOV TO SeArjjtxa TOW 0sou < TOV aicova.
Love not the world ;
Neither the things of the world :
If any one love the world;
The love of the Father is not in him
For all that is in the world, — The desire of the flesh, And the desire of the eyes, And the pride of life, — Is not of the Father, But is of the world :
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 269
And the world passeth away. And the desire thereof: But he who doeth the will of God, Abideth for ever.
Uokn,ii. 15—17-
Of this passage, the subject or proposition is laid down in a two-fold form : 1. " Love not the " world ;" 2. " Neither love the things of the " world." The first of these injunctions is first taken up in the succeeding couplet : " If any one " love the world," &c. ; the second injunction is then enforced in the following six lines : " For " all that is in the world," &c ; and, in the con cluding quatrain, the reasons of both injunctions are, in the first couplet, severally condensed :
For the world passeth away ; And the desire thereof:
while, in the last couplet of that stanza, the moral of the whole is most powerfully brought home, by the strong antithetical assurance that,
He who doeth the will of God, Abideth for ever.
From the disjunctive form of the commencing couplet, it is unquestionable that the apostle in tended to draw a marked distinction between " the world," and " the things in the world;" but what is the distinct meaning of each ? Probably THE WORLD here signifies that entire system of bad pursuits, and false enjoyments, which fallen man has manufactured for himself 5 and THE THINGS IN THE WORLD, the wrong dispositions and propensities
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIII.
which engage men in such pursuits, and plunge them into such enjoyments : he who loves the former, must clearly want an abiding principle of love to God ; for that system is antagonistically opposed to the word, and the will, of God : he who loves the latter, loves dispositions proceeding, not from God, but from that world opposed to God, which fosters them, and to which they are subservient. These dispositions the apostle clearly and pointedly describes : the desire of the Jlesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life; that is sensuality, avarice, and ambition. These, all, and that system to which they minister, are alike tran sient ; they pass away : but he who doeth the mil of God, he who makes himself a denizen of God's world, abidethfor ever ; eternity is stamped on his enjoyments and pursuits ; an eternity which inhe rently belongs to his own character, formed, as it is, by the grace of God, and by that grace, pre* served
" From the rank vapours of this sin-worn mould."
Such I take to be the meaning and connexion of the apostle's argument.
Respecting the grammatical construction of the clause beginning with 6-n TT«V TO sv TU xoo-pv, and ending with sx. TOV xoa-pou sg-», many commentators have been strangely at a loss. Grotius, for example, observes, that, in verse 16., the reading, instead of oux ej-iv, is a ovx sfiv : a reading, he continues, which we must either follow, or else, understand before the word «, or the word aura : neither alter-
SECT. XIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
native is in any degree necessary : TT«V ev TV KOO-^CO is the nominative case to ovx s^v — the intermediate three lines are but an enumeration of the consti tuent parts of that TO KM : not even a parenthesis (which Dr. Benson proposes) is necessary : proper punctuation will sufficiently keep the sense sus pended.
For the three-fold distinction of worldly dispo sitions or desires, the commentators may be con sulted. Schoettgen, Grotius, Wetstein, and Pri- caeus, bring several parallel passages from both Jewish and heathen writers ; a very few of these I
shall adduce j of yotg lAArjvcov nai /Sa^a^wv, Trgo; re eavTov$,
j AOEH2, yj 'HAONH2- TTsgi raitrot, xygaivsi TO TOOV avSgwTrov ysvo$. Jrhllon. Jllde
in Decalog., " All the tragical wars of Greeks and " barbarians, whether civil or foreign, have flowed " from one fountain ; — from the DESIRE, either of " RICHES, or of GLORY, or of PLEASURE ; for, in pur- " suit of these, the human race brings on its own
" destruction." aura* %e TPEI2 ruy^avovra*. *IAACONIA
TOj* I1AEONEHIA $sy gv TCU 4>IAOAOHIA Se, sv TOO KOi^VTregs^sv TS TWV io~wv TS xoii
Clinias. Pythagor. ap Gale. Opusc. p. 687. " The sources of evil are THREE : love of pleasure, " in matters of corporeal enjoyment ; love of money, " in matters of gain ; and love of glory, in point of " pre-eminence over our equals and companions."
AUTO* S'au og[Lctio~iv avsv xaAoy, aAAoj STT #AAa* ol [J,EV VTrsg AOHH2 a-Trov^YjV Sucre^frjv S^OVTS^ of S* e?rj KEPAO2TNHS TSTgct[jt,[j,£VOi ov'f)sv^ «AAo< 8* £J? ANE2IN xai 5HMATO2 yj^ea EPFA.
SACRED LITERATURE. [jSECT. XIII.
Men void of virtue hasten various ways, From peace apart ; each class, as each is moved : These, in AMBITION'S hard-fought field contend ; Those, creep in crooked paths of sordid GAIN ; And those, in PLEASURE'S flowery mazes stray.
Cleanthes apud Stobceum.
The moral result of all, is summed up by a heathen emperor, in language which might put to shame the spiritual sloth of many a professing
Christian : — bgo$ §r* <70» Tregiysyga^/xsvos TOU xgovov, 6 eav e/£ TO onrotiSgiotG'Ciii jU-rj %£*J<njj OJp^rjcrsTa^ xai ojp£>j(rr)3 xai avSig
WK fa™. Marc. Anton, ii. 4. ed. Gataker, p. 40. " There is a circumscribed space of time appointed " thee ; which if thou dost not employ in making " all calm and serene within, it will pass away, and " thou wilt pass away 5 and it never will return !"
273
SECTION XIV.
IN the present Section, I shall confine myself to a single example ; my remarks on which, I shall take the liberty of so extending, as to form a com mentary on the passage :
; OTI psiv yag vrlxiopev ot
si TI$ sv Aoyw ov OTrais*, OUTOJ
xai oAov TO
ra TO xa< oAov TO
UTTO uxA>]^a;v otvspwv ai OTTO eAap^i^ou /cr>j OTTOU av rj ofjw->) TOU suduvovToc /3ot»AyjTa< :
, oA»yov i37y£ rjAixvjv uArjv xat rj yAoocrcra
6
>j (TTnAoytra oAov TO xai <pAoy*?oi>(ra TOV xat
yag <pucrij ^^twv TS xa< tn-gTciVcov, S^TTSTCOV TS xa<
xai 8s yAcoo'O'
xaxov, jtxeg-y) »ou T
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
ev awry euAoyou/xev TOV ©sov xa< xai ev «UT>) xaragcojasSa TOKJ
TOU aurou $-ojw,arof, t%eg%ffrtu svXoyia xai
sx T»JJ ai»T>)$ onysy fyusi TO yX'Jxu xa< gA<pOi jtcoy^ crux>j eXa<aj -sro<>j(rai, >j ou8sj«,»a •srrjy)) aAuxov xai yAuxy -sroiyjcrai u
My brethren, be not many teachers ;
Knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation ;
For, in many things we all trip :
If any one trip not in word, he is a perfect man ; Able to bridle also the whole body :
Behold, the bridles of horses,
We put into their mouths, To make them obedient to us,
And we bring about the whole body :
Behold, also, the ships which are so great,
And driven by furious winds, Are brought about by a very small helm,
Whithersoever the force of the pilot listeth.
Thus, also, the tongue is a little member, yet worketh
mightily;
Behold, a little fire how vast a forest it enkindleth ; And the tongue is a fire,
A world of iniquity :
So is the tongue placed among our members ; Defiling the whole body ;
Both enflaming the wheel of nature And [itself] enflamed from hell.
For, every nature, both of wild-beasts and birds; both of
serpents and sea-monsters,
Is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the nature of man;
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. Q^S
But the tongue of men no one can subdue ; An irrestrainable evil, full of death-bearing poison :
By it, bless we God, even the Father ;
And by it curse we men,
Who were made after the image of God ;
From the same mouth, proceedeth a blessing and a curse;
These things, my brethren, ought not so to be :
Doth a fountain, from the same opening, send forth the
sweet and the bitter?
Can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine figs ? So can no fountain yield salt-water, and fresh.
S. James., iii. 1 — 12.
This extract is a fair specimen of S. James's general manner, both of thought and expression. It combines the plainest and most practical good sense, with the most vivid and poetical conception : the imagery various and luxuriant ; the sentiments chastised and sober. His images, in truth, are so many analogical arguments ; and if, at the first view, we are disposed to recreate ourselves with the poet, we soon feel, that we must exert our hardier powers, to keep pace with the logician. In my observations on this passage, I propose, 1. to examine the probable origin and progress of the apostle's train of thought : 2. to exhibit his nice observance of Hebrew parallelism ; and in the course, and through the means, of that exhibi tion, to defend the sacred text against the unwar rantable liberties of certain commentators : and 3. to illustrate the sense, but especially the poetical images, of the sacred penman, by similar examples
T 2
276 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
from other writers, both poetical and prosaic, both sacred and profane.
1. The topics of this passage are so various, and, at first sight, so apparently unconnected, not to say incongruous, that it may be thought a rash undertaking, to explore the writer's train of thought, and to investigate the probable source, and the orderly progress, of his ideas. Yet, in a brief space, I hope to offer some considerations, which may, perhaps, not be accounted either un natural or unreasonable: and which may throw some new light on the subject. In one word, then, I would resolve S. James's choice of topics, into the association of ideas.
He begins with two lines, which, though form ing a constructive parallelism, do not, either in their subject-matter, or expression, rise above the simplest and least ornamented prose :
My brethren, be not many teachers ;
Knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation :
the next line, however, has one figurative phrase, which, though abundantly plain and unambitious, may, by an allowable solution of metaphor, be called the associative germ of all the magnificent, and all the beautiful imagery, that afterwards springs up beneath the apostle's hand :
For, in many things we all trip:
the term here employed, S. James does not at once relinquish ; it occurs in the next line :
If any one trip not in word, he is a perfect man :
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. #77
the notion of tripping, naturally induces the notion of the means by which tripping is usually prevented, or obviated ; namely, the use of a bridle : this accordingly is introduced in the next line :
Able to bridle also the whole body :
hence the transition was obvious, and almost in evitable, to the management by the bridle, of fiery steeds ; which is most skilfully brought to bear on the main subject, by the happy introduction of the mouths, and of the whole body, in the next quatrain :
Behold, the bridles of horses, We put into their mouths, To make them obedient to us, And we bring about the whole body:
the transition from travelling by land, to travelling by sea, from the notion of a horse, to the notion of a ship, is most natural and easy : in moral illus tration, these two images are frequently united ; and, in the present instance, bringing about a horse by turning the bridle, bears so close a re semblance to bringing about a ship by turning the helm, that S. James expresses both actions by the
Same Verb ;
Behold, also, the ships which are so great, And driven by furious winds, Are brought about by a very small helm, Whithersoever the force of the pilot listeth :
the smallness of the instrument now becomes the associative link :
T 3
278 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
Thus, also, the tongue is a little member,, yet voorketh mightily :
This antithesis between diminutive size and mighty power, suggests the notion of a spark of fire ; the smallest of visible agents, yet productive of effects the most widely-wasting and terrific :
Behold, a little fire, how vast a forest it enkindleth :
the image of fire, thus elicited, is immediately applied to the tongue : while the image of vast- ness naturally induces a mention of the world :
And the tongue is a fire ; A world of iniquity :
The operation of fire on a forest, leads the mind to the fact of its having been designedly placed there, in order to produce this tremendous effect : hence the apostle is drawn to regard the location of the tongue in the human body ; fire is placed in a wood by the incendiary, in order to consume the whole : in like manner, though with a very different design, the tongue is placed among the members of the human frame : intended by our Maker to be the incentive and instrument of all goodness, it becomes, by human malice, the cor- rupter of the whole body :
So is the tongue placed among our members ; Defiling the whole body :
this collateral notion having been expressed, the previous ideas of a fire, and the world, are again resumed : the tongue is a fire ;
Enflaming the wheel of nature ;
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE.
it is also a world ;
Itself enflamed from hell.
Other associations now arise: the consideration of the world, and of the wheel of nature, or gener ation, would naturally lead a contemplative mind to expatiate over the vast scene of nature, animate and inanimate : and such appears to have been the mental movement of S. James : in the next stanza he introduces the whole brute creation, whether dwelling upon the earth, or beneath it ; in the air, or in the waters of the sea :
For every nature, both of wild beasts and birds ; both of
serpents and sea-monsters, Is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the nature of
man :
But the tongue of men no one can subdue ; An irrestrainable evil, full of death-bearing poison :
The deep moral contrasts of the last lines, most ,inartificially arising from the progress of the sub ject, induces a still profounder moral in the next stanza ; in which, moreover, the ideas of the world, and of the ill effects of the tongue upon it, are not lost sight of: the animal, or brute creation, had been just brought forward; now, God, the maker of all, and man, his last best work, and living image, are no less practically than mag nificently introduced :
By it bless we God, even the Father ; And by it curse we men, Who were made in the likeness of God : From the same mouth, proceedeth a blessing and a curse, These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.
T 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
That blessing and cursing should proceed from the same mouth, is clearly unnatural : the apostle, therefore, proceeds to prove, by analogies of na ture, that " these things ought not to be so." His analogies, however, are so derived, as to com plete his picture of the world ; he draws our atten tion to the department of inanimate nature ; and, that every part of this visible creation may con tribute to the illustration of his subject, the foun tains stand forth as representatives of unorganised matter : and various kinds of trees, as represent atives, at once, of organic bodies, and of vegetable life :
Doth a fountain, from the same opening, send forth the
sweet and the bitter?
Can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine figs ? So can no fountain yield salt-water, and fresh.
These all, if I mistake not, are primarily the fruits of association ; he, however, who attentively, and with competent powers, shall examine the structure of this noble piece of writing, must feel, that the associations are of no ordinary kind ; that they are the progressive thoughts of a mind, at once most deeply reflective, and most richly stored : a mind, habituated to the examination and controul of its own movements ; well acquainted with the minds and hearts of other men ; familiar with the works of nature, and usages of life ; and by no means deficient in familiarity with the treasures of human literature. The natural associations of thought, are the best criteria of mental cultivation : for, on occa- sion, and of set purpose, the empty may prepare them-
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 281
selves ; but thoughts will not flow freely, except from a full fountain. The associations of an uncultivated, or ill-cultivated mind, are always inconsequential; those, on the contrary, of a mind well stored, and well disciplined, will tie commonly found consecutive, and to the purpose. Lord Kaimes, if I rightly recollect, has happily illus trated inconsequential talk, from the trivial, uncon- catenated associations of Dame Quickly : I would venture to produce the passage now under con sideration, as an evidence, at once most brilliant and satisfactory, that the easy flow of a great mind, when concentrated on a great subject, will be found at least as logically just, as it may be poeti cally beautiful.
2. The second object which I proposed to my self, in observing upon this passage, was to exhibit S. James's nice observance of Hebrew parallelism ; arid in the course, and through the means, of that exhibition, to defend the sacred text against the unwarrantable liberties of certain commentators. Throughout the greater part of these twelve verses, the parallelisms are beautiful and striking : but, so obvious and unembarrassed, that observ ations upon them are needless : the fifth and sixth verses, however, have occasioned much trouble to interpreters, and more, probably, to the readers of their interpretations. And, as I conceive that va luable light may be thrown on these disputed clauses, from the doctrine of parallelism, I shall ad dress myself to this task ; in the first place, briefly noticing the opinions of leading commentators.
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
The chief difficulty has been thought to lie in the following couplet :
rj yAoxrcra
And the tongue is a fire ; A world of iniquity.
Several commentators would alter the received text. Grotius, Dr. Hammond, and DD. Morus, August!, and De Wette, prefer the reading of the Syriac Version, namely,
And the tongue is a fire,
And the world of iniquity is like a forest :
as though the original of the clause had been :
that is, " the tongue is a fire, and this wicked world the forest which it consumes." A clear and very plausible sense, it cannot be denied. But, as Professor Pott, in his Excursus on this passage, has well observed, it is scarcely credible, that, if this were the genuine reading, copyists could, without a single exception that has reached us, have de parted from it ; and, by the omission of uArj, have rendered a clear passage obscure. I will add, that the Syriac reading, however easy and natural it may seem on a superficial view, does by no means so well accord with the Hebrew parallelism, as the reading of our received text : a fact which I hope presently to establish.
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 283
M. LeClerc, dissatisfied with the Syriac Version, unceremoniously dismisses the entire clause, *«< *j yAcocro-a tru^, 6 xoa-pog ry$ ot$mot$, as a marginal gloss, which, by the oscitancy of transcribers had crept into the text ; as an interpolation at once tauto- logous and incoherent, loading the composition and embarrassing the sense. M.Le Clerc has been followed by MM. Hottinger and Eichorn ; the former of whom, thus ingeniously accounts for the origin of the supposed gloss ; taking to his assist ance the uArj of the Syriac Version : " A transcriber " was desirous to illustrate the words, behold, a " little spark [oA*yov wug], how great a forest [JJA^V " uArjv] it enldndleth; thus the tongue, $c.: for the " purpose of illustration, he accordingly inserted " in the margin the following notes ; >? yA^cro-a vug, " and 6 xoo-juw? TV; oihKws UA>J : indicating that the " tongue is a little spark, by which the world " of iniquity, like a great forest, is set on fire. " These explanatory words, with the casual omis- " sion of uA»), in the course of time, found their way " from the margin to the text." I shall merely observe, that all this ingenuity may be set aside by the single word, — CONJECTURE: there is not the shadow of authority to countenance the suppo sition ; and without the authority, if not of MSS. at least of Versions, or of early commentators, such hypotheses cannot be admitted : were they, in deed, admitted, farewell to the integrity of Sacred Scripture.
Other interpreters defend the received text. The learned Carpzov would retain the Greek as
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
it now stands ; but renders the passage, " And " the tongue is a fire, enflaming the whole world "with iniquity:" a rendering so hard, so forced, and so inconsistent with the original, that it can by no means be received.
M. Herder, relying upon a very ambiguous pas sage of Hesychius, considers xoo-pos to be synony mous with ^aryjyoj, as though it had been said, " The tongue is a fire ; the prime leader of all " iniquity :" — a sense unauthorised by the usage of any good Greek writers ; and unsanctioned by a single example from, what has been termed, the Greek of the Synagogue.
MM. H. Stephens, Wetstein, Eisner, Semler, Storr, Wakefield, and others, understand by 6 KOO-^OS TYIS aSixias, " the ornament, or varnish of iniquity ;" making the worse appear the better reason. Had this, however, "been the apostle's meaning, he surely must have written 6 xoo-pjr^, the varnisher: but, in truth, this meaning would, altogether, and unac countably, break the continuous chain of thought, which binds together the whole context.
Dr. Benson simply, and properly, understands by xoo-|u,o£ aS/xiac, " a great mass of iniquity :" as we say in English, " a sea of troubles ; an ocean of " delights :" and Milton, " a world of woe ; an " universe of death." Neither Dr. B., however, nor any commentator that I have yet seen, appears fully and satisfactorily to have explained the orderly connection of the passage.
Professor Pott makes an attempt, ingenious, I admit, but not successful : he takes *«< >j
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE.
for a more general application of the preceding clause, oA*yov uryp jjAixrjv uA>jv avowrrej, to the tongue : and (viewing 6 xoa-pos r^ otiwets as a parenthetical vituperation of this member, a burst, as it were, of violent emotion), he considers the following words, OVTWS YI yAcoo-o-a xa&raT.a* *• r. A., to be a further, a ful ler, and a more specific application of the previous imagery to this small but mischievous member. He fairly owns, that this explanation fails to furnish a dialectic jointing of the members ; but he alleges, that it gives that abrupt, suspended, and poetical energy, which is quite in character with the style and spirit of S. James. That this apostle is poetical in an eminent degree, I have already expressed my full conviction : but his poetry, it will be recol lected, is Hebrew poetry ; it is couched in paral lelisms : and, from the doctrine of parallelism, I shall endeavour, with what success the reader will determine, to elucidate this confessedly obscure passage.
For the sake of clearness and convenience, I will here repeat the fifth and sixth verses :
Thus, also, the tongue is a little member, yet worketh
mightily ;
Behold, a little fire, how vast a forest it enkindleth : And the tongue is a fire ;
A world of iniquity : So is the tongue placed in our members ; Defiling the whole body :
Both enflaming the wheel of nature ; And [itself] enflamed from hell :
Of this passage, we must observe, the structure is
286
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
very remarkable: the parallelisms are so distri buted, that the whole is resolvable into two alter nate quatrains, after the following manner : let the first and second, the fifth and sixth lines, be brought into juxtaposition ; in like manner, let the third and fourth, the seventh arid eighth lines be brought together, and the stanzas thus constructed will afford a coherent and consecutive sense, alike free from tautology, and from solution of metaphor :
Thus, also, the tongue is a little member, yet worketh mightily ;
Behold, a little fire, how vast a forest it enkindleth : So is the tongue placed among our members ;
Defiling the whole body :
And the tongue is a fire ;
A world of iniquity : Both enflaming the wheel of nature ;
And [itself] enflamed from hell.
Let it now be judged, in the first place, whether an adoption of the Syriac reading \_the world of iniquity is like aforest~], would not disfigure these fine parallelisms ; and whether M. Le Clerc's gra tuitous omission of two lines would not altogether destroy them : let it also be examined, the more strictly the better, whether a single difficulty of construction remains. It is worthy of notice, that while M. Le Clerc boldly dismisses the first two lines of the last newly-constructed stanza, M. Semler, could he find a single MS. to support him, would willingly expunge the fourth line. A passage so impugned, ought to be severely tried : we will accordingly subject it to another transposition :
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 287
let the quatrain, then, be changed from an alter nate, to a direct pair of parallelisms, and, merely omitting copulative particles, it will stand thus :
And the tongue is a fire ; Enflaming the wheel of nature ; A world of iniquity ; Enflamed from hell :
Serving, at once as the enflamer, and enflamed. It is the known characteristic of Hebrew paral lelisms, that, when more exquisitely constructed, they will often, without injury to the sense, endure such transpositions. Is it credible, that a spurious marginal gloss could, either accidentally, or by the skill of an interpolator, not only not injure, but most happily complete, the symmetry of a compli cated, and hitherto unnoticed Hebrew parallelism ? If by accident, this is a strange fortuitous con course indeed ; if by design, the designer must have been master of an art that perished with the completion of the sacred canon : for of Hebrew pa rallelism, we find no traces in the Fathers ; none in the spurious and apocryphal gospels and epistles. The disputed clause has now passed through an ordeal tolerably severe : it has twice endured the test proposed by Horace :
.... Si quod prius ordine verbum est Posterius facias, praeponens ultima primis :
and after these repeated transmutations, it retains all its native sense, spirit, and coherency ; enabling us to say much more than
Invenias etiam disjecti membra poetae.
288 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
The next stanza, that contained in the seventh and eighth verses, I would now adduce, as an ex ample, of a construction finely artificial :
For every nature, both of wild beasts and birds ; both of
serpents and sea-monsters, Is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the nature of
man :
But the tongue of men no one can subdue ; An irrestrainable evil ; full of death-bearing poison :
The first line is clearly bimembral: the animals are paired off in two distinct classes ; " both wild " beasts and birds: both serpents and sea- monsters;" each class, therefore, assumes its character from the first or leading member of it : the former class, from the untamed ferocity of wild beasts ; the latter class, from the venomous malignity of ser pents : yet, as the apostle states, both one and the other are mastered by human sagacity. Let the antithesis now be examined : " The tongue of men no one can subdue :" Why ? For two rea sons assigned in another bimembral line, and refer ring to the previous two- fold classification : 1. the tongue is " an irrestrainable evil," which can by no artifice be kept in, or made subservient, like the bear, for instance, or the elephant : C2. the tongue is " full of death-bearing poison," which can be neither eluded by vigilance, nor counter acted by antidotes, like the venom of the serpent. That S. James had a special object in thus pairing off the two classes of animals, may be inferred from the means by which the separation is ef fected ; by the two-fold insertion, namely, of the
SECT. XIV.j SACRED LITERATURE. 289
classical particle TE; a word of rare occurrence in the sacred writers, and which is not once again employed by S. James, throughout his whole epistle :
yotg <pu<n$ Sygiwv TE xai OTersivcov, v TE xaj gvaAicov.
I shall close this branch of my observations, with a single remark on the concluding triplet :
Doth a fountain, from the same opening, send forth the
sweet and the bitter ?
Can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine figs ? So can no fountain yield salt-water and fresh :
Several commentators, conceiving the last line to be tautologous, would alter the text, or would resort to other expedients, not here needful to be enumerated. But, in fact, that which they would get rid of as a blemish, is a great beauty. The triplet is, at once, poetical and argumentative. In the first line, a question is asked, " Doth a " fountain, &c. ?" This question is answered by another ; " Can a fig-tree, &c. ?" The latter ques tion, being manifestly unanswerable, except in the negative, the apostle triumphantly repeats the sub stance of his first inquiry, as a negative proposition true beyond the possibility of doubt or cavil : and thus he dismisses, without deigning to revert to it in express terms, the monstrous absurdity of bless ing God, and cursing man, with the same breath. To conclude thus, is to conclude with a moral dignity, worthy of the inimitable context.
3. It was proposed, in the third place, to illus trate the sense, but especially the poetical imagery,
u
290 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
of this passage, by similar examples from other writers, both poetical and prosaic, both sacred and profane: a branch of my subject, in which little more is necessary, than selection and arrange ment ; so abundant are the stores, heaped together by the industry of commentators.
Be not many teachers.~] $tia<7KaXo$ means a doctor, or teacher, of a superior order : so, in a fine passage
OI DimpllClUS : ou TO a7rAa>£ ctg^ov eiriTifisueiv ^YJJ aAAa TO TCOV Y)[j,iv (rvp,peTgcov agifov. ou&sv ya^ ev «<rufift6Tgo*$ UTro^o^a^ . $10 xgy py •CT^OTTSTCOJ ra /xsi^ova vrgoa-WTrsia vregi- /, AIAA2KAAOT, >j <piXo(ro<pou} y sv vyi xu£sgvyTOU} >) sv
sv u a< UTrs^aAAovra auro, >j sv
AIAA2KAAON
Comment, in Epictet. c. xxxvii. p. 468. edit. Schweigh. " We should " engage, not in that pursuit, which is abstractedly " best, but, in the best of those pursuits, which " are proportioned to our powers : for no advan- " tage can result from disproportioned undertak- " ings. Therefore, we should ; not rashly take " upon ourselves the higher parts in the drama " of life ; those, for example, of TEACHER, or " philosopher, or commander in a ship, or go- " vernor in a city. For it is more honourable " to act an under part well, mastering that part, " and rising above it, than to fail in the perform- " ance of a higher character, and sink beneath " its just level. It is better to be an excellent
JSECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 291
" pedagogue, than an incomplete TEACHER ; to be " a thrifty steward, than a profligate governor."
In this passage, the SiSao-xaAo^ or teacher, ranks as much above the pedagogue, as an archon or governor ranks above a steward. The 7r«<5ay«;yoj is an in structor of children ; the 5<cWxaAoj a teacher of men. And, in conformity with this distinction, the latter term is always used, throughout the New Testament, in a higli sense.
If any one trip not in word.'] Zeno said, " that " it was better to slip with the feet, than with
>( the tongue I x^=<rrov s<v«< TO/£ -orocnv oXivSeiv, y r>j
yAcoTT>j. Diog. Laert. vii. 26. p. 381. ed. Meibom. Eustathius, also, cites it as a received proverb, " that it is more tolerable to stumble with the " feet than with the tongue : for, in the former " case, we may rise ; but a slip of the tongue " frequently casts men down, beyond the possi- " bility of recovery." In Odyss. 0. 300. 48. Jam- blichus says, that " Pythagoras enjoined silence, " as the best training to universal sobriety ; be- " cause it is the most difficult branch of self- " discipline, to govern the tongue." De Vit. Pythag. p. 162. edit, Kuster.
To bridle the whole body.~\ ^x^ay^y^^. The moral application of this word was familiar to S. James : thus ch. i. v. 26. pj xAAiNArnrnN Tyjv yAwo-o-av OLVTOV : " not bridling his own tongue." Nor is a similar use of the term unusual among the later Greek writers : rag £e TM f^ovwv ogs£ sis xAAiNArnroY2H2. Lucian. Tyrannic. Open torn. ii. p. 143. edit.
u 2
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
Hemsterh. "Bridling the appetencies of pleasure." oroiv eKxs-oi TCUV 7ra^Mv xAAiNAmrH. Id. de Saltat. torn. ii. p. 306. " When it bridles each of the passions." XAAiNArnroYMENON UTTO TJVOS <pv(nxYi$ £t/vaju,eo>£. Alexand. Aphrod. " Bridled by some physical power."
It is probable that S. James had in view Psalms xxxii. 9, and xxxix. 1.
The bridles of horses we put into their mouths.^ The apostle might have said, in two words, xaXivovpev rov$ ITTKOVS, — we bridle horses in : but he judiciously preferred the longer phrase, T«JV ITTTTWV TOUJ xaXmus $1$ ra fop*™ /SaAAo^ev, for the double purpose, of refer ring to the mouth, and of fully bringing out the notion of a very small implement ; a notion this latter here conveyed by %aA*vo^ a bit ; and paral leled in the next verse, by K^otXiov s^a^s-ov, a very small helm. Philo Judaeus has nearly the same
expression : - Supjcanraroy £«;ov ITTTTOS potiiw$ aysra* XAAI-
Nn©Ei2. De Opific. Mund. p. 19. " That most " spirited animal, the horse, when bridled, is easily " led." Sophocles, yet more strongly in point :
2MIKPH XAAINH S' OiSa TOUJ
Antigone. 1.484.
The most fiery steed By a small curb oft governed have I known.
Potter.
Pricaeus conjectures, that S. James may have borrowed both this equestrian illustration, and the succeeding nautical one, from an epistle attributed to Plato ; however this may be, it is certainly curious, that both metaphors are combined, and
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 293
both applied to the government of the tongue, by
the Greek writer : rpna.\$ xa» /x,a$-<yj TOV$ ITTTTOUJ TT*J //,£V TOIJ »V'0'$ Trjv vauv £X7T£ra( XAAINA2ANTE5 xara£u3oj«,£V. OUTCO xu§££V>jTeov T>JV
u We direct horses with reins, and whip ; " and we navigate, sometimes letting the ship drive " with expanded sails, sometimes on the contrary, " bridling and weighing it down with anchors : " thus it is that we are to govern the tongue."
Plutarch has a similar combination :
e<r& 6 IFS&QOV row Aeyovrof, ou
xaj Tgo7TO$ psv ovv xai Aoyo^' )j T^OTTOJ Sia Aoyou- xctSaTrsg IT S<ct XAAINOT, x«i HHAAMOY xu^egVVJTy]?. De Audiend. Poet.
torn. i. Op. Mor. p. ,125. edit Wyttenb.
" The speaker's morals, not his words persuade:
" Yea, rather morals and words ; or morals by " words : as a horseman acts by the bit ; and a " pilot by the helm."
But, in truth, the association between these images is almost universal ; thus Artemidorus :
6v e%ei Aoyov STTI T>]f yvj? fairos9 TOV &VTOV sv SaAatrcnj vawj.
i. 58. " That which a horse is on land, the same " is a ship at sea." And Homer :
T<
VSWV VUXVTTOQOOV STTI^OLIVEIASV, «!•&' a
avS^acri yjyvovrai. Horn. Qd* A. 708.
He hath no need On board swift ships to ride, which are to man
His steeds.
Coivper.
u 3
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
And thus Plutarch unites the reins and the
helm : av jar] Tra^' yvictv xoti nag oiaxa. TroXAax/^ faf. Op.
Mor. torn. iv. p. 173. The analogy is fully opened out by a Christian Father : ewsify tie etisi *a
TO <rxa<pO£_, TO. TrrjSaAia TOLVTU; [AipsiToti, KCX.I TWV OIOLKWV
olot rig YIVIO%O;, xotSotTreg ITVV agpoiTOs ryv
TO
de Providentia. Orat. iv. torn. iv. p. 538. edit. Schulze. " But since the vessel also requires " reins, them the rudder imitates ; and the steers- 66 man, seizing the helm, like a charioteer, using " the stern for the wheels of his chariot, easily " carries round the vessel hither and thither."
May I be pardoned the liberty of here suggest ing, that, even on the authority of some of the passages just adduced, it might not be difficult to defend one of our most elegant writers, against the cold-blooded and anti-poetical criticism of Dr. Johnson ? It will be at once perceived, that I allude to the well-known, and, as I think, unjustly- ridiculed couplet of Addison :
I bridle in my struggling muse with pain, That longs to launch into a nobler strain.
The truth is, that, without resorting to Mr. Dugald Stewart's able apology for mixed or broken meta phors, defence may be taken for Addison, upon the ground of poetical precedent, and that of the highest kind 5 for example :
Sic fatur lacrymans ; CLASSIQUE immitit HABENAS :
VIRG. JEn. vi. 1.
on which passage, the Variorum commentators may be consulted 5 they furnish abundant instances of
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE.
the same kind, from the best poets. It were out of place and character, to extend this digression : but, in passing, I could not resist the opportunity of vindicating one favourite author, from the hypercriticism of another.
Ships that are so great, and driven by furious winds, are brought about by the smallest helm, whi thersoever the force of the pilot listeth.'} In this pas sage, there is an almost literal coincidence with the most universal philosopher, and, perhaps, the finest descriptive poet, of heathen antiquity : £j« n TO onjSaA<ov,
[uxgov ov, KOH *TT samara) TOO 'wAoja;, rocrauTyjv Suvctpiv e%£<, wf£
f • . , -I X"V
>ip£w,a<a£. M,eyaA# xivsKTScii ^eys-avj tjyAojcovj uclriStOtei* v^U.
Mech. 6. " Why does the rudder, a small irnple- " ment, and placed at the extremity of the vessel, " possess such mighty force, that, by a little helm, " and the strength of one man, and that scarcely " put forth, the enormous bulk of ships is moved ?"
Quippe etenim ventus, subtili corpore tenuis Tendit agens magriam, magno molimine navim ; Et manus una regit quantovis impetti euntem, Atque gubernaclum contorquet quolibet unum.
For the thin gale, in subtlest body cloth'd, With mighty force, the mighty bark impels ; While one hand governs its impetuous course ; One little helm directs it where you will.
Lucret. iv. 899.
It should not be omitted, that, in attributing mil to the force of the pilot, the apostle is more poetical than the poet.
296 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
The tongue worketh mightily. ~] ^syaKai)^. A verb compounded of two words, signifying a great neck: an allusion, probably, to the proud bearing of a horse's neck, when he puts forth all his power. There is a happy propriety in this covert reference to a previous illustration. See Macknight in loc.
Behold a little Jire, how vast a forest it en- Itindleth /] Many interpreters take OA>J to signify matter ; among the rest, our English translators ; who have, however, given in their margin what I think a preferable rendering, — wood. Taken in this sense, the passage is highly poetical, and agrees with several, both in the Old Testament, and in classical writers; for example:
For wickedness burneth as a fire ; The briar and the bramble it shall devour : And shall kindle in the thickets of the forest ; And they shall mount up in risings of smoke.
Isaiah, ix. 18.
And under his glory shall he kindle
A flame as the burning of fire :
And the light of Israel shall become a fire ;
And his Holy One a flame :
And it shall burn and devour
His thorn and his briar in one day :
And the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field ;
From the soul even to the flesh it shall devour ;
And it shall be as when one fleeth out of fire :
And the remainder of the trees of his forest
Shall be few, that a child may note them down.
Isaiah, x. 16 — 19.
So I will kindle in them a fire,
And it shall devour in them every green tree, and every dry tree. Ezekiel, xx. 47.
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 297
>JUTS vrug a'/SvjXcov ewi^JXsysi acrTrerov u
s re
HOM. //. B. 455.
As when devouring flames some forest seize On the high mountains, splendid from afar The blaze appears.
COWPER.
OTS -571)0 ai»)OV SV
T' siXu<po«;v otve[j,o$ <psQ£i3 o s re
HOM. //.A. 155.
As when fierce flames some antient forest seize, From side to side in flakes the various wind Rolls them, and to the roots devoured, the trunks Fall prostrate, under fury of the fire.
COWPER.
Nam saepe incautis pastor ibus excidit ignis, Qui furtim pingui primum sub cortice tectus, Robora comprendit, frondesque elapsus in altas, Ingentem coelo sonitum dedit ; inde secutus Per ramos victor, perque alta cacumina regnat, Et totum involvit flammis nemus, et ruit atram Ad coelum picea crassus caligine nubem.
VIRG. Georg. ii. 303.
For sparkling fire, from hinds' unwary hands,
Is often scatter'd o'er their unctuous rinds,
And after, spread abroad by raging winds :
For first, the smouldering flame the trunk receives,
Ascending thence, it crackles in the leaves ;
At length, victorious to the top aspires,
Involving all the wood in smoky fires.
DRYDEN.
T ogsi mug e% evo$ svSogov aVfw<r£V uAav.
FIND. Fifth, iii. 66
298 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
Fire from a single spark that springs,
High on the mountain top, destruction flings
O'er the vast wood.
One other passage I will adduce, in which, not the image only, but the application of it, affords an exact coincidence with the words of S. James :
Ss pjSgfff rauS' a (nyacr3a» yag SK AajaTrryj^oj tiaiov
OiV Tiff.
EURIP. Ino. lin. 14. inter fragm.
To none disclose the things thou shouldst conceal : For from a little torch the Idaean grove 'Twere easy to involve in flames.
It must be observed, that Wetstein, Wolfius, and Pott, cite these verses as from the ION of Euripi des. The traditional copying of erroneous, and unexamined references, is often perplexing to the student. This passage is used by Plutarch, in his excellent treatise on garrulity. It is remarkable, that, in the immediate context, the moralist, like the apostle, illustrates his argument from the art of navigation.
And the tongue is ajire.~\ It is the observation of CEcumenius, that " the tongue works great good,
great eVl : /xeyaAa epyu^sTai xaAa xou xaxa.
Connected with this observation, it is a remarkable circumstance, that, in Scripture, the tongue, and Jire (itself the most beneficial, or the most injurious of the elements), are often brought together, not only in the bad, but in the good sense ; thus the psalmist :
SECT. XIV,] SACRED LITERATURE. 299
I said I will take heed unto my ways,
That I sin not with my tongue :
On my mouth a bridle,
So long as the wicked is before me :
I was dumb in silence ;
I held my peace from good ;
And my grief was perturbed :
My heart grew hot within me ;
In my musing, ihejire kindled ;
I spake with my tongue.
Psalm xxxix. 1 — 3.
In the prophet we read : " And one of the " seraphim came flying unto me ; and in his hand " was a burning coal, which he had taken with the " tongs from off the altar ; and he touched my lips, " and said :
Lo, this hath touched thy lips ; And thy sin is taken away ; And thine iniquity is purged :
Isaiah, vi. 6, 7.
to which it is necessary only to add, that " when " the day of pentecost was fully come ;" and when the apostles " were all with one accord, in " one place, there appeared unto them cloven " tongues, as of fire" Acts, i. 1, 3. It is a cheering matter of reflection, that, if the fire of the tongue, on the one hand, be " enflamed from " hell," on the other, it is infused and enkindled from heaven.
A world of iniquity. ~\ Schoettgen illustrates this expression by a passage of Proverbs (xvii. 6.) not in the Hebrew text, but thus given in the Septuagint :
300 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV
TOW -cng-ou oAo£ 6 xocr/jtoj TWV TOW 82 ct'sns'ow ouSs
To the faithful, belongeth the whole world of wealth ; But to the unfaithful, not even a mite.
Etiflammg the wheel qfnature.~] TOV
For the different interpretations of this phrase, I would refer to the third Excursus of Professor Pott. Many passages have been pro duced for its illustration : the general meaning is clearly " the whole course and rotation of human " society, from generation to generation." The most remarkable citations of interpreters are the
following : 6 an^avTOS xuxXoj rrjf yevecrecoj : — SimpllC.
in Epictet. p, 94. " The endless circle of gene- " ration." And:
ANACREON, Od. iv. 7.
Like the chariot's rapid wheel, Swiftly rolls our life away.
To which may be added :
..... Properat cursu Vita citato, volucrique die Rota praecipitis vertitur anni.
SENECA, Here. Fur. 178.
With hurried course, life speeds away : Wmg'd are the moments of each day : Rolls the vast wheel with reckless haste, Of years no more to be replaced.
The following passage of Plato has not been cited by any commentator ; yet I think it may help to illustrate S. James : swrwsm TOV s* T»J$ vw
SECT. XIV. j SACRED LITERATURE. 801
xoti rENESEflS /3a<nAea xcti •sroA.mxov. Plato, Polit. p.
edit. Serr. torn. ii. " Seeking the pattern of a " king and politician, from the existing CIRCLE
" and GENERATION."
For every nature, both of mid beasts, $c.] The physical fact of the subjugation of the fiercest animals by human skill and power, is so often adverted to, by writers of all descriptions, that it were idle to accumulate passages of this kind. The moral application of the fact, is by no means so common. There is a fine sentence of Isocrates, which may be given : pj VOJEX^S, ryv sTn^sAeiav, sv psv TOI$
^yjcnjxov sivai, T&go$ Ss TO /SsArioy^ i}fJ<ot$ xai yivsaSoti, |«,>j8eju,jav s^siv fiuvapiv jx TCOV otvSgctiTTow TOcrauTvjv ^v^u^ioiV, w$ i&sgi fjt,ev TCX. sv()Yixa[j,£V, oils oiVTow rot$ ^vx/xs yuiegovpev, xoti CTOJOU/XSV *)//.«£ S* aurouj ovtisv av tz-gos cngsr^v o<psX>)<rai^gv. Ad
Nicocl. torn. i. edit. Battie. " Think not, that " diligent application, successful in all other con- " cerns, is powerless towards making us wiser and " better : despond not so of human nature, ac- " count it not so miserable, as to suppose, that " while we have discovered the art of taming wild " beasts, and increasing their value, we cannot " afford ourselves any assistance towards the ac- " quisition of virtue." No such despondency, it must be observed, can be laid to the apostle's charge. He maintains, it is true, that " no one can subdue the tongue of men ;" that is, mani festly, the tongues of other men; but he enjoins each person to bridle and to subjugate his own :
302 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
and this all may effect, who seek, who obtain, and who improve, the all-sufficient grace of God : nor be it forgotten, that all who seek faithfully, must infallibly obtain ; and that all who have obtained, may, if it be not their own fault, progressively im prove.
An irrestrainable evil.~\
OUT ex %e£Q? jtxegvra xagrsgov
fOtOV KATA2XEIN, OUT CX.7TO TAnSSHS AOFON.
Menand. ap. Slob. Serm. xxxvi. p. 217.
A ponderous stone hurl'd from the hand, 'tis hard To stop in its career : hard to restrain a word Forth darted from the tongue.
Full of death-bearing poison.^
They vibrate their tongue like a serpent ; The venom of the asp is under their lips.
Psalm cxl. 3. Bp. Horslei/s TransL
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
Prov. xviii. 21.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment ; And a babbler is no better.
Eccles. x. 1.
|W,af jyoj TTOISI
8s
sTTStrav sv
XOtl OV% U)$ 01 TTSTTTCOXOTSJ
fj,aKot()io$ o crxsTroKrSeis aw 6j ou SirjX-^sv sv TO
0$ OVX 6|XXU(T6 TOV
xai ev TOI$ Beo-jaoij aur»j£ oux 6 yctg xai oi
, 6
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 303
ou pj
KOH sv rrj <pAoyj atm]j ou ol xaraAejTrovrej Kugjov S[j,7rs<rovvTai EI$ xou sv oivrois sxxoiYia-SToti, KCX.I ov (a STT* avroi; o>£ Aecov cti OIVTQV$
The stripe of a scourge maketh weals in the flesh ;
But the stripe of a tongue shall break in pieces the bones :
Many have fallen by the mouth of the sword ;
But not so many as the fallen by the tongue :
Happy he who is protected from her ;
Who hath not passed under her venom :
Who hath not dragged her yoke ;
And in her bonds hath not been bound:
For her yoke, is a yoke of iron ;
And her bonds, are bonds of brass :
An evil death, is the death inflicted by her ;
And more profitable than her were Hades :
By no means shall she have dominion over the godly ;
And in her flame they shall not be burned :
They who forsake the Lord, shall fall jnto her power ;
And in them shall she fiercely burn, and shall not be
quenched :
She shall be sent forth against them as a lion ; And as a leopard shall she devour them.
Ecclus. xxviii. 17 — 23.
This last passage, on account of its many coin cidences with the passage from S. James, I have not scrupled to cite at large : we have here, not only death-bearing poison, but a consuming Jire, and the ferocity of mid beasts let forth from their dens; while the imagery which does not contribute to the illustration of the apostle, must, from its in trinsic excellence, command the reader's admir ation.
304> SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
By it bless we God . . . and by it curse we men.~]
ou ya^ ocnov Si* ou fOj&aroj TO ISQWTOITOV ovopot t&gQ^sgsToti TI$, 8ia TQVTOV, <pS£yyeo-$a< r/ TWV aio-p^gcov. Phil. Jlld. de
Decal. p. 757. " It is impious for any person, " from the same mouth with which he pronounces " the sacred name, from that same mouth, to utter " any thing indecent or profane/'
Dr. Macknight has a conjecture not without pro bability : " Perhaps the apostle in this glanced at " the unconverted Jews, who, as Justin Martyr " informs us, in his dialogue with Trypho the " Jew, often cursed the Christians bitterly in their " synagogues." Comm. in loc. Dr. M. has not cited any particular passage of this dialogue ; it may not be improper to supply his omission. S. Jus tin frequently and expressly mentions this refine ment of uncharitable blasphemy : the following paragraph is exactly to the point : the reader will please to mark the word xara^svor the very phrase of S. James, here and elsewhere used by S. Justin, while remonstrating against this usage : aTrsxTsiva
xaj, ngo CX.VTOV, TOV$ vrgocpyTOVs O.VTOV xoti vvv
£11 aUTOV, XCtl TOV -STSjUAf/aVTa OiVTOVy -GraVTOXgCtTOgOl KCLI
TCOV oXwv ®eov} aSsTeire, xcti, b<rov z<f vpiv, aTJ/x-a^re, KATAPfiMENOl, sv TOU$ (ruvaywyai^ y/^wv, TOUJ -cKfeyovTaj STTI TOV
Xgwv. Dial, cum Tryph. ed. Thirlb. p. 169. " For " ye have slain the Just One, and, before him, his " prophets ; and now, those who put their trust " in him, and that Almighty God, the maker of " the world, who sent him, ye do set at nought, " and, to the utmost of your power, do dishonour, " CURSING in your synagogues those who believe in
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 305
" Christ." S. Justin, towards the conclusion of
the same dialogue (p. 428. ed. Thirlb.), asserts,
that the Jews were accustomed, at the express
desire of the rulers of their synagogues («^<ruva-
ycoyoi) immediately after prayers, to ridicule, and
revile, and bitterly to scoff at Christ. S. Jerome is
still more particular ; and traces the usage back,
not improbably, from his own time, to the time of
the apostles : " Provocati a Domino ad pceniten-
" tiam, et postea ab apostolis ejus, usque hodie per-
" severent in blasphemiis : et ter per singulos dies,
" in omnibus synagogis, sub nomine Nazarenorum
" anathematizent vocabulum Christianum" In Esai.
cap. v. col. 53. torn. iii. ed. Bened. And again :
" Et sub nomine, ut saepe dixi, Nazarenorum, ter
" in die in Christianos congerunt maledicta." Ibid.
col. 377* The probability that S, James alluded to
this horrid practice, is heightened by the certainty,
that several parts of his epistle are undeniably
levelled against the unbelieving Jews.
From the same opening."] S. James is here nicely accurate : as Grotius observes, naturalists have discovered, and recorded, that the same fountain does sometimes send forth sweet water, and salt or bitter ; but KEVERJrom the same opening.
Can a Jig-tree bear olives, or a vine jigs ?~\ This is apparently a proverb : the same thought, clothed in almost the very same expressions, occurs in Epictetus, ii. 20. § 18. ; in Plutarch de Tranq. Anim. ; and in Maxim. Tyr. Diss. xxviii. Seneca too, says, that " good cannot spring from evil, any
x
306 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
" more than figs from an olive-tree." Epist, Ixxxvii. But see most particularly of all, S. Matt. vii. 16.
In thus commenting on this passage of S. James, I am quite aware that I shall repel, rather than attract, a certain class of acute and intelligent minds. The truth however is, that, after having read, with much attention, and, I hope, with some profit, Mosheim's able dissertation against the practice of extensively illustrating Scripture from the classic writers, I am by no means a convert to his way of thinking. To examine the nicer vari ations both of thought and of expression, when the same subject is discussed by writers of different ages and countries, or even of the same age and country, is a valuable exercise of mind : it aids philosophical discrimination. But, where Sacred Scripture is concerned, the habit of such examin ation serves a higher purpose. It enables us to see, that, on the greatest moral questions, God left not himself without witness, among the sages, and the men of letters, of the Gentile world ; and to ascertain, how far those luminaries are obscured, and how far they reflect any unpolluted beams, proceeding originally from the Father and Foun tain of all spiritual light. It enables us, also, to establish, that, in native energy of thought, in lucid clearness of conception, and in the sublimi ties and beauties of language and expression, the writers of the New Testament are equal, and fre quently superior, to the noblest writers of classical antiquity.
On this subject, I feel pleasure in adopting the
SECT. XIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 307
language of a pious, learned, and elegant divine of the last age : it conveys my own sentiments ; and perhaps the concluding words are not less applica ble, in the year 1820, than they were in the year 1738. The writer is speaking of Eisner, Alberti, Bos, Wolf, Raphel, and other philological commen tators on the New Testament : " Books, which I " cannot but recommend to my young friends, as " proper, not only to ascertain the sense of a " variety of words and phrases which occur in the " apostolic writings, but also to form them to the " most useful method of studying the Greek <c classics ; those great masters of solid sense, " elegant expression, just lively painting, and " masculine eloquence, to the neglect of which I " cannot but attribute that enervate, dissolute, " and puerile manner of writing, which is growing " so much on the present age, and will probably " consign so many of its productions to speedy " oblivion." — Dr. Doddridge ; Fam. Expos. Pref. p. xii.
The parallelisms exhibited in these pages, be tween twelve verses of S. James, and various ex cellent productions of the earliest and latest periods of gentile literature, might have been easily, and considerably, increased : but even this limited selection may place in a light somewhat new, the large extent of his mental acquisitions. It is the part of no vulgar intellect, to concentrate within such narrow bounds, so many valuable thoughts, and expressive illustrations ; — which elsewhere, indeed, may be found divided and dispersed,
x 2
SOS SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIV.
" here a little, and there a little •" but which, in this passage, are combined, with the genius of an original thinker, and with the skill of a master in composition. I will conclude this section in the words of the most elaborate writer of antiquity : the scrupulous polish of whose language, has, per haps, prevented many from justly appreciating the purity of his moral teaching. Axxa ya^ ovx sv
Aoyoj$ xgy Ttsgi TCOV s7nTrj8eu/x,aT«;v fyrsiv TCH$ xaivo-njra^, s OUTS 7rag>a£o£ov, OUT a^ng-ov, OUT e%vu rcov vopifypevwv outsv evgeiv, «AA* T^SKT^XI TQVTQV swai ^a^j£farov5 05 aw rcuv ffTroi^svctiv sv Tcti$ Toov aXAwv 5iavo<a^ aSgoicrai ra TrAsjf xa; (p^ao-aj x«XX»fa negi O.UTCM. Isocrates. ad Nicocl.
p. 55. edit. Battie. " We are not to seek novelties " in discourses on the moral duties ; for these will " admit nothing paradoxical, nothing incredible, " nothing beyond the common sense of mankind : " and on such subjects, he is the most agreeable " writer, who can accumulate the greatest num- " ber of the truths dispersed through the minds of " other men ; and who can express them in the ** aptest and most beautiful language,"
309
SECTION XV.
IT will be recollected, that, in the third section of this work, I ventured to call in question Bishop Lowth's name and definition of the first kind of parallelism; that, from his Lordship's own examples, I proved the absence of strict identity between those parallel lines, which he has termed syno nymous ; and that I proposed to substitute, as a more appropriate epithet, the term Cognate Pa rallelism, in the room of the term Synonymous Parallelism.
The Cognate Parallelism, I have already said, admits of many varieties ; the most remarkable of which, is an ascent or climax in the terms, clauses, or lines, which constitute the parallelism. This variety has been sufficiently exemplified from the Old Testament, in the third section ; and the attentive reader cannot fail to have marked occasional exemplifications of it from the New Testament also, in the course of the foregoing pages. A few of those examples I will now re peat ; and will add to them so many fresh ex amples, as, I conceive, may enable students to reduce for themselves like passages, to a like form, when occurring, as they must frequently occur, to every close and diligent examiner of Sacred Scripture.
x 3
310 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
oy TOV Kvgiov *jyaAAia<rs TO Trveu/^a /utou STTI TCO 0eco T<W
My soul doth magnify the Lord ;
And my spirit hath exulted in God my Saviour.
S. Luke, i. 46, 47.
The second line of this couplet clearly rises above the first, in all its terms : ^syaAuvco is simply to magnify, to celebrate, to praise ; ayotxxixa denotes exultation, or ecstasy : fyvxy is the animal soul ; vrvsvpc*, the immortal spirit: TOV xvpuv is the sim plest and most general expression of godhead, the Lord of all men ; T& 0ew TW o-wnjg* jxou, is, in terms, a considerable amplification, and in meaning, abounds with appropriative and heart-felt comfort ; the God who is MY Saviour. Now, all the terms of the second line thus respectively rising above their parallel terms in the first line, the fact can surely not be questioned, that, in the lines themselves, there is an intentional gradation.
ecav sA>j sv
0$ SOiV rA»] £V VfJttlV 8WOil
But whosoever would among you become great,
Shall be your servant : And whosoever would among you be chie£
Shall be your slave4
S. Matt. xx. 26, 27.
The first line and the third, the second line and the fourth, are here parallel; and, in each pair of parallelisms, the gradation is manifest :
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 311
chief, is an advance in the scale of human gran deur, upon jaeyas, great ; and SouAo^, slave, is many degrees lower in the scale of human depreciation, than Siaxovo?, servant. See what has been already said respecting this passage in the twelfth section ; and especially the note there cited from Dr. Camp bell. It may be observed also, that simi is an advance upon ysvarSsu : those of a more limited ambition, wish to become great ; thereby admitting, that they are and have been little : those, on the contrary, whose ambition is unbounded, wish to be first, or chief; not making any admission whatever of previous mediocrity. If, indeed, the variation of these verbs be not significant, it can hardly be accounted for : all the other terms in the lines respectively parallel, are, with the most significant exceptions of jtx=yaj and wgwTo?, 8<«xovo£ and SouAo;, as also of the particles «AA' and **», (a variety indispensable from the connection with the pre ceding context,) identically the same. In compo sition so nicely balanced, the change from ysveo-Sa; to £«va< could not have taken place without a rea son : the reason just assigned is, at least, probable ; by me it should not be assigned, if I did not think it much more. Some copies, it must be noticed, read ysveo-Sai a second time ; manifestly because the transcribers of those copies looked for strict verbal parallelism. The received reading, all must feel to be the right one : it is the reading of the ma jority of copies ; it is a departure from verbal repetition ; and to depart from verbal repetition is not the common error of copyists* And finally,
x 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
the mistake of a few transcribers, arising from a natural expectation to find ysvsa-Sai repeated, be comes an additional reason why we should look for special significancy in the substituted verb g»v«i, which disappoints that expectation.
bv 6 KyiO
Whom the Lord Jesus will waste away, with the breath
of his mouth ; And will utterly destroy, with the bright appearance of
his coming.
2 Tkess. ii. 8.
The first words, 6v 6 Kvgio$ l^ov^ are common to both lines ; av«x«;o-ei implies no more, in this place, than gradual decay ; xara^o-ej denotes total exter mination : while, in terror and magnificence, no less than in the effects assigned, the breath of his mouth, must yield to the bright appearance of his coming. The first line seems to announce the ordi nary diffusion, gradually to be effected, of Chris tian truth : the second, to foretell the extraordinary manifestation of the victorious Messiah, suddenly, and overwhelmingly, to take place in the last days.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners ;
And purify your hearts ye double-minded.
S. James, iv. 8.
here, relates to outward cleansing; to inward purification : xeigas, to outward actions ; xag&ia;, to inward principles :
£ECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 313
persons determinately engaged in sin; M/u^oi, persons in whom conscience is awakened, wavering between tendencies to good and evil.
Ye have lived delicately on the earth, ye have been
luxurious ;
Ye have pampered your hearts, as for a day of slaughter.
S. James, v. 5.
On the climax in this passage, it were needless to enlarge : it is after the highest order of prophetic poetry: see what has been said on the whole context in Section XIII.
ei$ 680 v eSvwv pj flwreASijTs*
xoii si£ TroAjv crajxagejTWV //,)) s/creASyjTe'
rex. TroGarct r& aTroAwAora oixov
To a way of the Gentiles go not off; And to a city of the Samaritans, go not in ; But proceed rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
S. Matt. x. 5, 6.
This is a gradation in the scale of national and religious proximity : the Gentiles, the Samaritans, Israel. In the remaining terms, there is a corre spondent progress : a way, or road to foreign countries ; a city of the Samaritans ; the house of Israel, a phrase conveying the notion of HOME : go not off, — go not from Palestine, towards other nations ; go not in to a city of the Samaritans ; though, in your progresses between Judea and Galilee, you must pass by the walls of many Sama ritan cities : but, however great your fatigue,
314 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
and want of refreshment, proceed rather, not merely to the house of Israel, but to the lost sheep of that house. Thus, by a beautiful gradation, the apostles are brought from the indefiniteness of a road leading to countries remote from their own, and people differing from themselves in habits, in language, and in faith, to the homefelt, individual, and endearing relationship of their own country men 5 children of the same covenant of promise, and additionally recommended to their tender compassion, as morally lost.
o STTI TOV
OigOtl TO, SX TY)$ QlXia$ OiVTQV '.
xai 6 sv TOO otygw, p; gTri ctg/zi TCH l^oina aurou.
He that is on the house-top, let him not come down,
To take the things from his house : And he that is in the field, let him not turn back,
To take his upper garments.
S.Matt. xxiv. 17, 18.
The reading of our received text is agon TI e* T>JJ " to take ANY THING from his house." TA, how ever, is the reading of the best MSS., Versions, and Fathers ; and is adopted by Mill, Wetstein, Griesbach, &c. In order properly to understand this passage, we must keep in view the construc tion of houses among the Jews : they were com monly flat-roofed, and had stairs on the outside, by which persons might ascend and descend, with out coming into the house. In the eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed con tinued terraces, from one end of the city to the
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 315
other, which terminated at the city-gates. Our Lord's injunction, therefore, is, — he who is walk ing on the house-top, let him not come down to remove his property from his house ; let him, on the contrary, pursue his course along the terrace, and escape through the gate of the city as fast as he can.
The gradation in the sense is manifest : the man on the house-top was not to come down, and carry away his household-goods and property ; a work of time and difficulty : the man at work in the field, was not so much as to turn behind him for the upper garment, which he had but just laid aside, in order to facilitate his labour j a lively image of increasing, nay, of instant danger.
o civgwiroi TOV KOH ou /£>) su^rjcroucnv aurov :
KUl STTlSvpYIO'OVa'lV OtTToSoiVSlV
xoti <PSV^STCHI an OIVTCQV 6
Men shall seek death ;
And shall by no means find it : They shall desire to die ;
And death will flee from them.
Rev. ix. 6.
In this example, I have followed Griesbach's text : the gradation speaks for itself: the personification of death is magnificent ; the more so, from its un expectedness and brevity.
rcuv YLotg w oux ew
316 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
Every good giving, and every perfect gift
Is from above, descending from the Father of lights.
With whom is no parallax, neither tropical shadow.
S. James, i. 17.
If we suppose, with Bishop Bull, (Harm. ApostoL p. 101, 102.) that the apostle was here controvert ing that astrological fatalism of the Pharisees, which ascribed all human prosperity and virtue to the influence of the heavenly bodies, the un questionably astronomical phraseology of this re markable passage will be at once accounted for. As if he had said : " MH HAANASOE, WANDER NOT " in your imagination, like those planets which you " ignorantly constitute the arbiters of human " destiny : every good giving, and every perfect " gift, is, not from the starry heavens, but, from " above, from the highest or third heaven, from " the heaven of heavens ; descending, not as you " weakly suppose, from the sun or stars, but from " God himself, the Father and Fabricator of them " all ; with whom is nothing analogous to those " optical delusions, those periodical obscurations, " and those vicissitudes of seasons, which are at- " tendant on the seeming course of the sun, both " annual and diurnal."
Each line, it will be noted, contains within itself a marked gradation : 1. 8o<n$, a giving, is less complete than So^a, a gift or donation ; as «ya3>], good, is inferior to reXsjov, perfect : %. From above, is at once a less definite, and less elevated origination, than from the Father of lights : 3. The sun's parallax, or the difference between his place,
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE* 317
as viewed from the centre and surface of the earth, is a mere trifle, compared with his tropical shadow ; when, for example, in our winter, he has declined to the southern tropic ; a declination, by which our days are considerably shortened, and we suffer a great diminution both of light and heat.
Respecting the difference between 8o<n$ and ScogYifji.*, Wolfius refers to Mercurialis, de Arte Gymnastica, i. 14. ; to Petr. Faber, and to Jac. Lydius ; Agonist. Sacr. cap. 34. p. 123. ; also to Amelius, torn. ii. p. 214. : all of whom sup port a distinction in the terms. Dr. Hammond on Philippians, iii. 12. may be consulted, together with Poole, Synops. in loc. Respecting the astronomical terms, I need only say, that several of the most learned and judicious commentators are agreed upon their scientific meaning. See particularly Wetstein. It must be added, that, not merely the thoughts, but the sounds of the original are, in a high degree, poetical : the first line, it has been often observed, is a pure hexameter.
Since writing the above, I recollected a severe stricture in one of Dr. Campbell's preliminary dissertations 5 on turning to which, I find the following words : "I once met with a criticism, " I do not remember where, on a passage in the " Epistle of James, in which God is called the
" Father of lights, nag w oux svi -B-ctguXXayYi, y rgOTrys
" aTroo-xiacr/xa. The critic profoundly supposes, that " the sacred penman, though writing to the Chris- " tian converts of the dispersed Jews, amongst " whom there were certainly not many noble, or
318 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
" rich, or learned, addressed them in the language " of astronomy ; and therefore renders ^^OLXKOL^ " parallax, and rgo^ tropic. If this be to trans- " late very literally, it is also to translate very " absurdly." Diss. xii. p. 386. Not quite so ab surdly as the learned Professor imagined : for, if the terms be not astronomical, what is their meaning ? How, for example, as Mr. Wakefield has acutely asked, shall we understand or explain the phrase, a shadow of turning ? But, if there were not several rich, and well-born, among the Christian converts of the dispersion, how is it, that, in this very epistle, S. James so frequently, and so pungently, addresses himself to the rich, — to those who were engaged in the most extended commercial speculations ; to those who were bril liant and perishable as the flower of the grass ; to those who entered the place of Christian wor ship, wearing gold rings arid splendid robes ? But even supposing, what the facts do not authorise us to suppose, that there were neither rich nor noble converts among the readers of this epistle, it would seem a strange conclusion, that there fore, none of those readers could comprehend one or two astronomical phrases. In the truly re spectable society over which Dr. Campbell so worthily presided, there must have been abundant examples to prove, if proof were not superfluous, that humble birth, and scanty fortune, were no insuperable obstacles to the attainment of scientific information. Respecting the learning of those whom S. James addressed, I am not indeed pre-
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 319
pared to speak with confidence : it probably was very far from extensive. But, from the general complexion of his epistle, I think it was not writ- ten, and I AM SURE it was not ADAPTED, to the vulgar and illiterate. And besides, much learn ing was by no means necessary, toward under standing one or two terms in astronomy ; under standing them, I mean, in a popular way, as an Englishman of no remarkable information under stands the terms eclipse or comet. It must also be considered, that the Jews, like other people of the East, were fond of astronomy ; that they accurately studied the prognostics of weather, af forded by the state of the atmosphere, and hea venly bodies ; and that, if Bishop Bull's opinion be founded, (and it seems extremely probable,) this passage was directed against professed astronomers and astrologists, who could not fail to understand allusions of a nature far more profoundly scientific.
OTI rov rjAiov OLUTOV ctvctreXXsi STTI -srovyjpouj KOCI
xai
For he maketh his sun arise on the bad and good ; And raineth on the just and unjust.
S. Matt. v. 45.
The first of these lines contains the higher cha
racter, the second a lower character, of good and
evil ; TTovrigos bad, wicked, is more than a&ixos, un
just : the former is positive ; the latter only nega
tive : again ; ay«3o£, good, is superior to Bixaiof,
just : the latter is no better than strict law re
quires him to be ; the former follows the kind
320 SACRED LITERATURE. JJ3ECT. XV/
and benevolent dictates, of a kind and benevolent
nature :
Quis legem det amantibus ? Major lex amor est sibi.
The other terms have a similar gradation : the degrees of divine bounty are adjusted according to the degrees of the recipients, whether in the scale of good or evil. God is said to make his sun arise on the higher class, whether in virtue or in vice ; the evil and the good ; the Sun, whose influence brings the fruits of the earth to full ma turity ; HIS SUN, by way of eminence, his best natural gift. But on the just and unjust, the lower class in virtue and in vice, it is said that God raineth, not that he " sendeth his rain ;" intimat ing thereby, that rain, though a Boon? ay«3rj is not a ticopip.* TsXetov : accordingly we see, that rain pro motes, indeed, the earlier processes of vegetation, but never brings the fruits of the earth to their perfection.
The four terms, " bad, good, just, unjust," it will be observed, are distributed in the way of epanodos ; the unamiable and undeserving are mentioned first and last, for the purpose at the commencement, of making, and at the close, of sustaining, the paramount impression, that HE whom we are both enjoined and encouraged to imitate, is kind and beneficent even to the unworthy.
Wetstein has accumulated similar passages, both from oriental and classical writers. I shall give but two : " Be like the trees," says a quaint, yet beau tiful Persic epigram, " which impart their shade and
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 321
" their fruits to every traveller ; to those even, who « assail them with sticks and stones." And Seneca : " If thou wouldst imitate the gods, bestow benefits " even upon the ungrateful : for the sun rises " upon the wicked ; and the seas are open to " pirates." — " Gratitude is not shown to me : " what shall I do ? Act like the gods, — the most " excellent examples thou canst follow, — who " begin, by heaping favours on the ignorant ; who " persevere, in heaping them on the ungrateful." De Benef. iv. 26. vii. 31. If any one is desirous to see this topic very beautifully expanded, I would venture to recommend to his perusal the treatise of S. Cyprian, " De Bono Patientiae ;" especially p. 447-8. torn. i. edit. Oberthiir.
meg ixaiou TI$ yotg TOV ayaSou foc^cx. TI$ xoti
Now, scarcely for a just man would a person die ; Though for the good man, perhaps a person might even dare to die.
Rom. v. 7.
From the individual complexion of these lines, examined without reference to the context, it might be safely concluded, that an ascending gra dation was intended by S. Paul. The very particles mark this : fj,oXi$, scarcely, implies a degree of im probability almost amounting to absolute negation : rax*, perhaps, not only does not approach denial, but affirms a low degree of probability ; which probability receives a kind of heightening from the additional words, might even dare : in one case, the
y
SACKED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
notion of dying is at once dismissed, as pretty much out of the question ; in the other case, it is so paused upon, as to intimate that it may take place ; and a note is accordingly made, of the heroic resolution necessary toward such self-devo tion. It may also be not improbably supposed, that the article, omitted before fcxaiow, and inserted before ayaSou, cannot be insignificant : A just man; THE good man. The subordinate terms thus indi cative of progress, more may be rationally expected from the two principal terms of the couplet. We have, accordingly, seen in the last example, that ayaSo? rises above £<x«*o£ : and it may be added, that according to some of the most eminent, and least fanciful critics, these words are antithetically con trasted, as differing both in kind, and in degree : the one, belonging to a nobler system of morals, than the other. To avoid prolixity, I shall con tent myself with citing a single passage from the philological annotations of Raphel : " Luculenta " est illorum interpretatio, qui virum bonum a " viro justo ita distinguunt, ut Justus sit, qui tan- " turn nihil contra leges scrip tas facit, sed suum " cuiqtie tribuit, nocet nemini : bonus autem, qui " facit etiam ea, qua? legibus sancita non sunt ; et, " quse sibi retinere salvo jure posset, ea aliis tri- " buit, et, quibus potest prodest omnibus." This distinction Raphel establishes effectually, by strik ing passages from Xenophon and Cicero. It may be just mentioned in passing, that the rabbinical writers had similar distinctions ; see Godwyn, Jewish Antiq. i. 9. Schoettgen. Hor. Hebr. in
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 323
loc. Dr. Doddridge and Koppe, in loc : also Gata- ker, Adv. Misc. ap. Op. Crit. torn. ii. p. 316, 317. But, when we refer to the context, the question is placed beyond all reasonable doubt. The apos tle's object there is, to illustrate the exceeding love of Christ, by a contrasted analogy, derived from human feelings. " Look around you in the world ; — where will you find a person ready to die for a just man ? Is it more than a remote probability, a mere perhaps, that you will find a person with magnanimity to die, even for that rare character, THE GOOD MAN ? But not such was the love of Christ : he died for those who not only were not GOOD, who were not even just ; for the weak, and the ungodly ; for sinners, and for enemies" Such is the general scope of the context : and let it be observed, that the passage is constructed with no common regularity and skill. In verse 6, we have a pair of terms, one manifestly rising above the other, descriptive of man's fallen condition ; aa-Sevw, morally weak ; avsSav, not godly, negatively wicked : in verses 8 and 10, the corrupted state of man is expressed by another pair of terms, one, also, rising above the other ; a/^rwAcov, sinners, positively wicked ; s%3goi, enemies, determined foes, in warfare against God and goodness : so, in Demosth. de Co- ronci, srapscrovyjgof ayS^wro^ xai $soi$ s^gos. Now, as I
have already remarked, the apostle's argument is enforced by a contrasted analogy : therefore, by the rules of ordinary composition, and much more by the laws of Hebraic parallelism, as there is climax in each pair of terms to which the words
Y 2
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
and ayados are opposed, there must also be a gradation in the words $ix<x.io$ and ayaSo? themselves. It is worthy of observation, that St. Paul's three degrees of wickedness (for ao-Ssvcov amounts only to weakness,) accurately correspond with the three de grees enumerated in the first Psalm ; see Section III. The reader may compare the terms of the apostle, with those of the psalmist :
V. Rom. I Psalm. Sept. Vers.
In these two series, the first two terms of each are identically the same : the remaining pair of terms differ in sound, but correspond in sense ; enemies, in the one place, answering to the pestilent, or scorners, in the other.
Respecting the interpretation of this passage, commentators have needlessly involved themselves, and their readers in much perplexity. Those who wish for the most condensed, and most intelligible view of the conflicting opinions, will find it in the " Curse Philologicae" of Wolfius. Four modes of evading what has appeared the difficulty of the case, may be cursorily noticed.
1. Tanaquil Faber and Bochart would dismiss
the words UTTSQ yag TOV ayaSoy Tap^a Tig xai ToAj«,a otTroSot-
vew, as a marginal gloss. For this monstrous li berty, there is not the slightest authority of MSS., or Versions. It has been exposed, with equal severity and justice, by Mosheim, in his Dissert.
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 325
Sacr. p. 321. ed. 4to. 1733 5 and more fully in his Cogitat. in var. loc. Nov. Test. I. ix. 218.
2. Some few commentators adopt the reading of the Syriac, which, for &<x<aou, substitutes ahxov. This alteration Beza confesses he would gladly have adopted, had it not been contradicted, by all MSS., and by the Latin Vulgate. It is clearly inconsistent with the scope of the apostle's argu ment ; and, as Koppe has acutely observed, it is irreconcileable even with the particle ^0X1$.
3. Several, following S. Jerome, and enumerated by Gataker, who joins this party, would identify &<x«<o£ and «ya$o£ : a procedure, which would fix on S. Paul the imputation of gross tautology ; which, from what has been already said, is manifestly at variance with the scope of the context ; and which is at war even with the settled principles of the Greek language : for, as Mosheim pithily states it ; " obstat diversus sermonis habitus. Ob- " stant ipsae voces. Vel apud eos qui mediis " Athenis nati sunt, vocabulorum Sixaio? et ayadoj " differentia est." In defiance, however, of such obstacles, the lexicographers Schoettgen and Spohn identify these words, in this place.
4. Another Lexicographer takes the most extra ordinary course of all. Not satisfied with the bare adoption of the Syriac reading, he tortures that reading out of the existing Greek text. The pro cess by which he obtains this result, is so curious, so unprecedented, and, I must add, so startling to common sense, that I do not choose to report it in other words than Schleusner's own, "AJKAIOS,] 11.
Y 3
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
" Interdum i. q. agios dignus. Milan, V. H. ii. &7- rwv " OVTWJ $oivpotgs<r$ixi Sixaicov, quse sunt vere admiratione " digna. Liban. Ep. 47. ed. Wolf. Hinc X«T s£o- " %*jv 8»x«io£ r^ws, poena dignus, b r^ Six^ agios dici- " tur ; unde explicandum esse arbitror locum diffi-
" cillimum Rom. V. 7. poXi; ya^ UTTS^ Sixajoy («8<xou Syi''
<{ Erp.) r<j cwoSotveiToti vix mortem quis pro reo ac " sonte sustineat."
This, surely, is strange lexicography : S<xaio? means agios, agios means worthy : -^Elian says things are &/*«/«, that is «^<a; that is worthy, Sau^sa-Sai to be admired at. Libanius may, for aught I know, (his epistles not being at hand) say that things are agio, or $ixaiot TK SixYj; worthy of punishment ; but how does it, how in the name of common sense, can it follow from hence, that the word Soccoo^ simply, without the accompaniment of any restrictive term to limit or decide its sense, shall signify worthy of punish ment ? Before we can adopt this bold ellipsis, we must be satisfied of its existence in the Greek language, by some clear examples of it. Had Schleusner any such to produce ? If he had, he most unaccountably failed in his duty as a lexico grapher, no less than in prudence as a reasoner, by suppressing them : if he had not any such examples, his argument, or to speak more correctly, his assumption, falls to the ground. And be it remem bered, that not even the production of examples would suffice : it would still remain to be proved, that this unusual sense of §<xajo£ corresponds with the bearing of the context, and with the reasoning of S. Paul. Thus much is certain, that the exam-
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE.
pies are not forth-coming. It would, perhaps, be no rashness to assert, that they cannot be found. But even if they were found, from the internal evidence of the passage in question, they could be proved altogether inapplicable.
To a plain English reader, M. Schleusner's argument, if argument it can be called, may be thus not unfairly exhibited. Worthy, in our language, sometimes means deserving: whether of good or ill, depends entirely upon the context: we say, « worthy of an olive-branch, and laurel crown ;' or, « worthy of stripes and death.' And, perhaps, about as many examples might be adduced from our standard writers, of the one turn of expression, as of the other : now, would it not seem passing strange, if Mr. Todd, for example, in his late excellent edition of Dr. Johnson's Dictionary, had thus argued? " I " have now shown from one example, that certain " modes of thinking are said to be truly worthy of " admiration ; I refer you, for another example, " to a book of no very frequent occurrence ; the " words I do not cite, the substance of them I " do not state ; if able to procure the book in " question, you may find them for yourself: and " from this example and a half, I infer, and I exhort " you to rest assured, that the term worthy often " means emphatically, a person worthy of punish- " ment, a culprit, a criminal: whence, I pronounce, " the following most difficult passage should be " explained : ( scarcely for a worthy man would " any one die :' that is, * Scarcely for a malefactor
Y 4
328 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
" would any one die/ " To use the learned Schleusner's own phraseology, this would be arbi- trarious explication with a witness : this would be among the exploits of lexicography, ovrcoj 3ay//,a?eo-3a* Sjxajcov, truli/ worthy of admiration ! Yet, whether this be an overcharged statement, let the candid reader judge.
And here, may I take the liberty of submitting to those whom it may concern, a cautionary ob servation ? The Lexicon of Schleusner is, as it ought to be, in every SCHOLAR'S hands. But this is not all: it has been re-published in this country; and, if I mistake not, edition has rapidly followed edition ; it is also recommended, from the most authoritative quarters, to commencing students in theology. Ought these things to be so? And however useful, and even indispensable, on the table of the staid and principled divine, should this mingled mass of truth, and falsehood, of acute philology and licentious innovation, become the oracle of every unfledged and implicit theologian ? It were surely far preferable, that our youthful students should imbibe the Hutchinsonianism, and adopt the innocent etymological fancies, of the honest, orthodox, and truly learned Mr. Parkhurst. Defects, I must add, which are easily separable from the excellencies of his able work; and which are infinitely outweighed, by the extensive eru dition, the refined taste, the well-selected inform- ation, and, above all, the unaffected piety, which are the honourable characteristics of his " Greek and English Lexicon."
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 329
6 o&ixwv, a§jx»j<rara> err
X0tl 6 pVTTVOV, pUTTWQ'OlTOD STl '.
xoti 6 SiKcuocy $MOUW§YITCU err X.OLI 6 ajo ajacrSyTco er/.
He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still ; And he who acts filthily, let him act filthily still ; And he who is just, let him be justified still ; And he who is holy, let him be sanctified still.
Revel, xxii. 11.
In rendering this passage, I have attempted, so far as the genius of the two languages will admit, to retain in English, the just force of the Greek original. The analogy between 8ixaio$ just, and BixaiceSijTw justified, is precisely retainable : not so that between ayio* and «y<ao-3»]T«; : our language does not possess words of the same root, so related ; whence I have been obliged to use the terms holy and sanctified. The Vulgate accurately reads,jw$/w$3 justificetur ; sanctus, sanctificetur.
That there is, in each couplet of this stanza, a
progressive meaning, cannot, I presume, be rea
sonably questioned. Filthiness evidently rises in
the scale of turpitude above injustice or unrighteous
ness ; and, from the rules of Hebrew poetry, and,
indeed, of all measured composition, holiness, or
sanctification, which is antithetically opposed to
Jilthiness, must, in like manner, rise in the scale
of moral excellence, above justice, or righteousness,
or justification, which is antithetically opposed to
injustice : the first couplet, then, presents two de
grees of moral evil ; and the second couplet, two
degrees of moral goodness. Again ; the parti-
330 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
cipial form on the bad side, indicates an evil course of action ; the adjectival form on the good side, indicates an inherent principle or quality of virtue. And lastly ; the active voice of the verbs on the bad side, would seem to attribute all human wickedness to man's own agency ; and the passive voice of the verbs on the good side, to ascribe all human excellence to some derivative, communi cated power ; that is, manifestly to the efficacious grace of God.
It must, in fairness, be stated, that Bengel and Griesbach read this passage as follows :
6 adixwv, a$ixYi<ra.TW err
xcti o pVTroigo;, pUTra^suSyjrw STJ*
x«< 6 Sjxaioc, Sjxajocruvrjv CTOiyja-ara) STJ*
xui 6 ayios, uyiot<r$YiTuo ex*.
He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still ; And he who is filthy, let him be kept filthy still ; And he who is just, let him do justice still; And he who is holy, let him be sanctified still.
To the reading pwotgevfyTw, Wolfius strongly, and, as I think, unanswerably, objects, that it supposes the existence of a verb (ptwragewo) which occurs not in any Greek writer ; and which may be vainly sought in all the Lexicons. I am gratified, that Schleusner leaves it in our power still to affirm this last clause of Wolfius' objection. He ex pressly registers his dissent, in this particular, from Griesbach. I shall only add, that the proposed alterations of the received text would quite dis figure the parallelisms. It is a received canon of biblical criticism, that, " In the poetical and
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 331
" prophetical books of the Old Testament, that " reading is best, which accords with the poetical " parallelism." See Mr. Home's Introd. to Script. vol. iii. p. 153. This canon, I do not hesitate to say, should be applied to those passages of the New Testament, in which the parallelism obtains.*
In the discourses of our Lord, it sometimes happens, that the same illustrative topic, or pro verbial aphorism, is employed on different occa sions, and applied to different subjects, with suitable variations of manner, in the application and ex pression. Attention to this fact, will frequently enable us to discover nice shades of moral discri mination : I will exemplify my meaning by three passages, from the first three evangelists :
/x>3 xgivsrs va. p)
sv w yoig K^j^art xgiveTs, x
xcti ev o> [Aergw JXST^SJTS, f^erg^Yi^erui v/xtv.
Judge not, that ye be not judged ; For, with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ; And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
S. Matt. vii. 1, 2.
TI
ev co jutsTgco pergeiTe, |U,5T£rj3vjcreTa* vpiv, xcoi 'orpos'sflvjcreTaj u/xjv TOI$
Take heed how ye hear ;
With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto
you; And more shall be given unto you that hear.
S. Mark, iv. 24*.
* In later editions of Mr. Home's " Introduction," it has been so applied. (1828.)
332 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV
xai
KOtl (7
Saxroucnv ei£ TOV xoATrov
avToo psTgy) a> ^ST^SJTS, avn^r^sTon vpiv.
Give, and it shall be given unto you ; Good measure,
Pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, Shall they give into your bosom ;
For, with the same measure that ye mete with, it shall be measured to you again.
S. Luke, vi. 38.
Ill these three passages, on three several occasions, our Lord uses the same proverbial aphorism, sv A psTgv fj,£T%£iTe, x. r. x. with a beautiful variation in each instance; nicely adapted to the subject- matter of which he is treating. In S. Matthew, the retribution is punitive ; no more, therefore, than simple retribution is, in that case, intimated. In S. Mark, the retribution is a retribution of reward ; therefore, an overplus is promised ; more shall be given unto you. In S. Luke, the over plus is superabundant ; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over; and, in this last case, the act rewarded is one of beneficence to others, while, in S. Mark, it is one of wise and virtuous consideration for ourselves.
In thus discriminating, it is probable that our Lord had respect, not only to the feelings of human nature at large, but more particularly to the no tions currently received among his own country men. The Jews were in the habit of distinguish ing between the measure of retribution, the mea-
SECT. XV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 333
sure of benignity, and the measure of superabundance. See Schoettgen on S. Luke, vi. 38. p. 273. Meus- chen on S. Matt vii. 2. p. 72. and on S. Luke, vi. 38. p. 129. Wetstein on S. Luke, vi. 38. and Vorstius de Adagiis Nov. Test. c. viii. p. 518 — 522. ap. Rhenferd. de Styl. Nov. Test. : all of whom bring illustrative passages from rabbinical writers. Wol- fius on S. Luke, vi. 38. may be consulted with advantage : but particularly Glass, Phil. Sacr. pp. 1864. 1971- ed. 4to. 1725, which, in the present instance, as in many others, will be found far more satisfactory than Bathe's Abridgment, " hisce temporibus accommodata."
On the reading of S. Matt. vii. 2. /xsr^-Vsraj for avTi^sr^^o-erat, I have spoken in Sect. IX., near the commencement.
From S. Mark, iv. 24. Griesbach, unwarrant ably as I conceive, drops the words *«< vrgos-sdya-eToti vpiv TOI$ axovounv. The judgment of Grotius should here be weighed : " Lectionis hujus veritatem de- " fendunt antiqui codices, et veteres metaphrastse, " a quorum consensu, ut saepius monui, non est " temere recedendum." The force of the Pro verb, as applied by our Lord in this place, has been happily expressed by Euthymius : sv w
jxer^ejTS 'Ergocr£p£>jv, sv T«J «UTCO ^rq^^sTon fyuv
" With what measure ye mete attention, with the " same shall knowledge be measured unto you." Reichard, in his Latin Version of the New Tes tament, supplies the same sense : " Quam enim (in " attendendo veluti) mensuram adhibueritis, eadem " (in cognoscendo) vobis continget."
334) SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XV.
In St. Luke, vi. 38. the words are most accu rately appropriate : tsFemea-pevov, pressed down as with the feet, relates to solid substances ; <rs<ruxev[j.svov, shaken together, to granulated substances, corn, meal, &c. ; wrsgsx^ovoftsvov, running over, to fluids. On the singular elegance and beauty of this pas sage, the learned Casaubon observes at some length, in his notes on Theophrastus, p. 175.
Hesiod uses language nearly similar; and has been applauded for it by Cicero ; Brut. 4. : with the words of the Ascraean, the present section shall be closed :
sv JU.EV [ASTgeKrSoti maga yetrovoj, su 8* TO; jU-sTgw, xai Aanov, aixe §uvrja<
xa» t.
The loan well-measured from thy neighbour's store, In payment measure well ; if able, measure more.
335
SECTION XVI.
IN the fourth section of these observations it was intimated, that, when I should have proceeded some way in the examination of New Testament parallelisms, I would resume the subject of the epanodos. That engagement I am now about to fulfil.
The Epanodos is literally a going back ; speak ing first to the second of two subjects proposed ; or, if the subjects be more than two, resuming them precisely in the inverted order; speaking first to the last, and last to the first. The rationale of this artifice in composition, I ventured to explain in the following words : " Two pair of terms or " propositions, containing two important, but not " equally important notions, are to be so distri- " buted, as to bring out the sense in the strongest " and most impressive manner : now, this result " will be best attained, by commencing, and con- " eluding, with the notion to which prominence is " to be given ; and by placing in the centre the " less important notion, or that, which, from the " scope of the argument, is to be kept subordi- " nate." * And the justice of this explanation was, I trust, sufficiently established by examples of epanodos, derived both from the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and from the best classical writers.
* See page 60.
336 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
In the course of the intermediate pages, addi tional specimens of epanodos have incidentally occurred : it remains to bring before the reader further specimens, exclusively from the New Tes tament, which, I am hopeful, by the united force of juxtaposition, and mutual relationship, may at once throw light upon each other, and satisfactorily illustrate the nature, the value, and the importance in Scriptural interpretation, of a technical arrange ment, which has not hitherto been investigated as it deserves ; and from the future investigation of which, no trivial benefits may be expected.
>j yctq TOV evct p<rrj<r5t, xai rov srsgov >j hog * otvSefcrai, KO.I TOU hegov ou Suvrto-Se 0eco SouAeueiv xai
No man can serve two masters :
For, either he will hate the one, and love the other ; Or he will adhere to the one, and neglect the other :
Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
S. Matt. vi. 24.
In this quatrain at large, there is a clear epanodos : in the first line, the impossibility is, in general terms, asserted, of serving two masters ; that is, two masters of opposite tempers, issuing opposite commands : in the fourth line, this impossibility is re-asserted, and brought personally home to the secular part of our Lord's hearers, by the speci fication of the two incompatible masters, GOD and MAMMON. These two assertions, as the leading
* On the omission of the article before kv^t see Bishop Middleton, in loc.
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 337
members of the passage, are placed first and last; while, in the centre, are subordinately given the moral proofs by which the main propositions are established. But the two central members are so disposed, as to exhibit an epanodos yet more beautiful and striking. In a divided service, the dispositions and conduct of the servant, towards the opposite powers who claim his obedience, are distributable into two classes ; each class contain ing two degrees : on the one side love, or at least, adherence ; on the other side, hatred, or at least, neglect. Now, since it was our Lord's purpose, to establish the great moral truth, that every attempt to reconcile the service of opposing masters must terminate in disappointment, the question is, by what arrangement of the four existing terms may the utmost prominence be given to that truth? The answer is obvious : let hatred be placed first, and neglect last, and let love and adherence be relegated to the centre : the consequence will be, that the first impression made, and the last left, must be inevitably of a disagreeable nature ; strongly enforcing the conclusion, that such a service cannot be any other than most irksome and most fruitless bondage. And such, precisely, is the distribution of the passage, as given by S. Matthew. Let, on the contrary, either the clauses of the lines in question, or the lines them selves, be transposed, and the reader will at once perceive how entirely the point and energy of the statement are destroyed :
388 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
For either he will love the one, and hate the other ; Or he will neglect the one, and adhere to the other :
or thus :
For either he will adhere to the one, and neglect the
other ; Or he will hate the one, and love the other :
In both cases, the notions of love and adherence, the one at the commencement, and the other at the close, would make, and would leave, an im pression of an agreeable nature ; out of character and keeping with the scope of our Lord's argu ment.
Vorstius (Philol. Sacr. par. i. p. 123.) takes the words ay«7rav and avrs^Eo-^ai to be precisely equiva lent : this, however, is by no means the case. jiuo-eiv and ayoivotv are words expressive of inward dispositions ; avr^so-Sa* and xaT«pgoveiv, of outward conduct. See Raphel, in loc. and Schleusner,
Lexicon. VOCe
TO
/x,>jSe /3aX>3Te TOV$ pagyugiTas vpow spwqoa-ev rcav PJTTOTS xaraTra'njcraxnv auTOUf sv TOI$ 7ro<nv xcu
Give not that which is holy to the dogs ;
Neither cast your pearls before the swine ;
Lest they trample them under their feet ; And turn about and rend you.
£ Matt. vii. 6.
The relation of the first line to the fourth, and tbat of the second to the third, have been noticed by almost all the commentators. A minor circum stance is not altogether undeserving of attention :
SECT. XVI.] SACKED MTERA TITHE. 339
the equal lengths, hi the original, of each related pair of lines ; the first and fourth lines being short, the second and third lines long* Tlie sense of the passage becomes perfectly clear, on thus adjusting the parallelism :
Give not that which is Tioly to the dogs ; Lest they turn about and rend you : Neither cast your pearls before the swine ; Lest they trample them under their feet.
Castalio, without any transposition, by availing himself of the Latin idiom, has accurately pre served the sense :
Ne date rem sacram canibus ;;
Neve margaritas vestras porcis apparate :
Ne HI eos pedibus conculcent;
ILLI versi lacerent vos :
A rendering followed in the English Version of 1729 : " Lest THESE trample them under foot, and " THOSE turn upon you, and rend you." The metrical version of Juvencus is to the same effect :
Ne canibus sanctum dederitis ; neve velitis Turpiter immundis jactare monilia porcis.; Namque ilia in coeno pedibus subjecta jacebunt; Conversique canes vasto vos vulnere rumpent.
The more dangerous act of imprudence, with its fatal result, is placed first and last, so as to make, and to leave, the deepest practical impression. To cast pearls before swine, is to place the pure and elevated morality of the gospel before sensual and besotted wretches, who have
340 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
.... nor ear, nor soul, to comprehend The sublime notion, and high mystery,
but will assuredly trample them in the mire. To give that which is holy (the sacrifice, as some translate it) to the dogs, is to produce the deep truths of Christianity, the ™ /3aS»j rou ©sou, before the malignant and profane ; who will not fail to add injury to neglect ; who will not only hate the doctrine, but persecute the teacher. In either case, an indiscreet arid over-profluent zeal, may do serious mischief to the cause of goodness : but in the latter case, the injury will fall with heightened severity, both on religion, and religion's injudicious friends. The warning, therefore, against the DOGS, is emphatically placed at the commencement and the close.
iou, eyw
ev jaecro; Auxcov*
yjvs(T^s ovv. <pgovi[j,oi w$ 01 KOLI otxegcuoi w$ oil 7rsgi$-egoii.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep,
In the midst of wolves ;
Be ye therefore prudent as the serpents, And harmless as the doves.
S.Matt. x. 16.
" Here," says Bishop Middleton, " we have w$
" Trgo&aTot, but w$ ol o^ei$> £and ca; al Trsgi^sgot.1.^ It is
" riot without reason, that even this apparently " minute distinction is observed. ALL sheep are " not supposed to be in the midst of wolves : but " all serpents are assumed to be prudent [and all « doves to be harmless]." Doctr. of Gr. Art. in loc.
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 341
The first two lines are thus resolvable into two propositions :
I send you forth as sheep ;
I send you forth in the midst of wolves :
These propositions are taken up severally in the inverted order ; and, were the passage reduced to an alternate quatrain, it might stand as follows :
I send you forth as sheep ;
Be ye, therefore, harmless as the doves : I send you forth in the midst of wolves ;
Be ye, therefore, prudent as the serpents.
The innocence of the dove is necessary to maintain your character as sheep : the prudence of the ser pent is necessary to guard you against your fero cious adversaries. The order of the text, how ever, is incomparably preferable. A striking con trast is obtained, by bringing the sheep into imme diate contact with the wolves ; it is a graphical picture of the condition of the first Christians. And there is a beautiful propriety in placing Jirst and last, the sheep, and the doves. Innocence, or harmlessness, is essential to the Christian character : prudence, especially that prudence which guards against the machinations of wicked men, however desirable, is not essential; without it, men may be Christians in all integrity and purity of heart. The essentials, then, designated under the resemblance which all true disciples of our Lord must bear to the most innocent of animals, are made emphatic by their position : while the adventitious danger, and the adventitious safe-guard, the ravening
z 3
SACRED LITERATURE., [SECT. XVI..
wolves*, and the serpentine prudence, are placed obscurely in the centre.
It has been judiciously and elegantly remarked by Dr. A. Clarke, that there is a beauty in this saying of our Lord, which has not been often noticed. The serpent is prudent to excess, being full of cunning : Gen. iii. 1. % Cor. xi. 3. — and the dove is simple even to stupidity : Hosea, vii. 2. But our Divine Instructor corrects; the cunning of the serpent by the simplicity of the dove ;, and the stupidity of the dove, by the prudence of the serpent.
$£ OUV %£>}S"&'njT«>
XOJ CtTTOTOfJUaV 0£OU* 87TI [J,£V TQV$ TTSCTOV 7TO-.
Behold therefore the gentleness,,
And the severity of God ;
Towards those indeed who have fallen, severity;1 But towards thee, gentleness,,
Rom. xi. 22.
Gentleness at the beginning ; at the close gentle ness j this epanodos speaks for itself..
re
qv et$ ray Kvgwv rjj
Earnestly testifying^ both to the Jews, and to the Greeks,
Repentance toward God,.
And faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ*
Acts, xx. 21.
that is, resolving the first line into its component members, and then reducing the passage to an alternate quatrains
SECT, XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 343
Earnestly testifying to the Jews,
Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:
And earnestly testifying to the Greeks, Repentance toward God.
The apostle's ministry was two-fold ; among the Jews, and among the Greeks : each branch of that ministry is here characterised, by that department of instruction, which S. Paul was, in the first in stance, obliged to enter upon, with each class of his Catechumens. To the Gentiles, he primarily testified, repentance toward that one Almighty God, from whom they had wandered : to the Jews, who already acknowledged and adored that one Almighty God, he primarily testified, the additional necessity of Christian faith. The form of epano- dos, gives due prominence to that faith in Christ, which was the ultimate aim of his ministry : and keeps in due subordination, those truths of natural religion, which were chiefly introductive.
This division must be restricted to S. Paul's initiatory labours among Jews and Greeks ; for, it is certain, that, when occasion required, he preached repentance to the former ; and, when they were sufficiently prepared, he preached Christianity to the latter.
SV TCO OVOfLOtTi TOV KugiOU I>J(70U,
sv TCO t&veu[£otTi TOU 0eou ^j
But ye are sanctified ; But ye are justified ; By the name of the Lord Jesus ; And by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor. vi. 11. z $
344 SACRED LITERATURE, [SECT. XVI.
" After the general head of washing," says Dr. Hammond, " which contains the two subsequent, " sanctifying and justifying, the mention of our " Lord Jesus Christ, which is first named, belongs " to the latter, that of justification ; and the Spirit " of our God, to that of sanctifying ." Works, vol. iii. p. 32.
The apostle, it will be observed, begins with the last attained grace of Sanctification, and ends with the perfective energy of " the Spirit of our God ;"
Tyv x&giv Tri$ TOD ^TVsv[j.a.TO$ ayiafjxvjf TeXsiOTYiTO$} *' the
" grace of the sanctifying perfection of the Spirit/* as it is called by S. Macarius, Horn. xl. p. 478. ed. Prit. Meanwhile, the initiatory grace of justifi cation, with its seminal principle, " the name of the " Lord Jesus/' is intermediately, and of course less prominently, disposed ; as it were for the purpose of intimating, that, " forgetting things behind, we " should reach forth unto things before ;" that, " leaving first principles, we should go on to per- " fection."
rco ev TOI$ (
xai sv TQI$
l 8s
We are a sweet odour of Christ; To those who are saved; And to those who perish ;
To the one, indeed, an odour of death, unto death ; But to the other, an odour of life, unto life.
2 Cor. ii. 15, 16.
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 34,5
The painful part of the subject, is here kept subor dinate ; the agreeable, is placed first and last.
(7ov rrjv xoti T>JV -srjfjv yjv T&QOS TOV KU^JOV TOUJ
Hearing of thy love,
And of the faith which thou hast,
Toward the Lord Jesus, And to all the saints :
Philem. 5*
that is, the epanodos being reduced :
Hearing of thy love,
To all the saints ;
And of the faith which thou hast,
Toward the Lord Jesus :
An arrangement of the same thoughts, elsewhere afforded by S. Paul himself, only that he places faith first, and love last :
Having heard of your faith, in the Lord Jesus; And of your love, to all the saints.
Ephes. i. 1 5.
See also Coloss. i. 4<. If it be asked, why, in the epistle to Philemon, written about the same time with those just cited, was the more obvious order departed from, an order fresh and familiar to the writer's mind? — a sufficient reason may be assigned from the leading object of this epistle, as contrasted with the leading object of the other two. To announce the mysteries of faith and wis dom, was the great object of the epistles to the
346 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
Colossians and Ephesians ; now, so far as the pre sent passage is concerned, this object would be most promoted, by giving prominence to faith in Christ ; and, considering the intrinsic weight of that 'principle, such prominence would be amply given, by the very simplest construction ; that is, by placing faith (as it now stands in Ephes. i. 15. and Col. i. 4.) thejirst in order. And, indeed, this construction would seem, in this case, to be the only proper one : for the subject, as treated in each of those contexts, demanded no marked gradation ; and, since faith stands related to lovey somewhat as cause to effect, the course of nature is followed, by proceeding from cause to effect, from faith to love. Nor could the epanodos have been here pro perly applied. The order of Philemon 5, would have placedjfazYA in the back ground : let now the converse of that order be tried :
Having heard of your faith,
And of the love which ye have,
To all the saints. And in the Lord Jesus :
Here we are, at the first glance, offended by the violent and unnatural disruption of the principle of faith, from the divine object of that principle : while the interposed mention of " love toward the u saints," is unmeaning, perplexing, and indeco rous ; postponing, as it were, our Divine Re deemer, for the sake of doing honour to his creatures.
The object, on the other hand, of the epistle to Philemon, was altogether different: it was a pri-
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 34<7
vate memorial, designed to rekindle in the breast of an injured master the flame of Christian charity towards an offending, but repentant slave : now, this object would clearly be promoted, by making love toward the saints the prominent member of the period. Yet, when coupled with that faith in Christ, from which, even in thought, it should never be disjoined, how could the requisite pre ponderance be given to brotherly love ? It would seem, by the very artifice of composition here adopted, and by that alone. Had " love to the " saints" been first put forward, and then finally dismissed, to be, " succeeded by " faith toward " Christ," the former idea would have been eclipsed by the latter : while, on the contrary, had "• faith toward Christ," been the foremost member of the period, it would have so pre-occupied the mind, as to keep the succeeding member, "love-to* " the saints," decidedly subordinate. S. Paul, therefore, distributed his terms like a consummate master of language : he placed love first, and the object of that love last ; including faith toward Christ, the originative fountain of all Christian love, between those two extremes : thus, instead of detracting from the grand impression, the mention of Christian faith promotes it : thus, for a season, the greater light lends his beams,,, and dele-* gates; his sway to the lesser. * The departure,
* In calling faith toward Christ the greater, and love to thd saints the lesser light, I would be understood to speak object ively : subjectively, we have most unquestionable authority for saying, that love is superior to faith. See 1 Gor. xiii, 13*
348 SACRED LITERATURE- [SECT. XVI.
therefore, from the common order, in this passage of the epistle to Philemon, is, at once, persuasive as matter of argument, and beautiful as an orna ment of composition.
1 have, the less unwillingly, extended my re marks on this brief extract, because I do not find that any critic or commentator has fully entered into the spirit of it ; and because too many, alto gether unconscious of that spirit, have taken most unwarrantable liberties with the sacred text.
M. Wassenbergh speaks, in a tone of greater moderation than usual : " Loci hujus sensus magis " fiet perspicuus, si verborum PAULLI hunc ordi- " nem esse statuas nativum : axouwv o-ou T>JV aya^v Y,V
" s^sis si£ vravras TOV$ ayiouc, xai ryv tffis-w rjv s^si; vrgo$ TOV
"KV$IOV-" Diss. de Traject. in Nov. Test, saepe necessariis, p. 61. <c The natural position of the " fifth verse of S. Paul's epistle to Philemon," says Mr. Blackwall, " should have been thus : Hearing " of thy love to all saints, and the faith which thou " hast in our Lord Jesus Christ. Our translators " improperly retained the transposition, which will " not be endured in English" Sacr. Class, vol. i. p. 87. " Dr. Mills mentions several MSS. and " ancient Versions," says Dr. Benson, in loc. " that place the words thus : r^ tx^w a-ou, x«» T>JV " ayaTrvjv, thy faith and love, &c. which was most " probably the original reading, as faith refers to " the Lord Jesus Christ, and love, to all the saints, " &c." It may be observed, in passing, that this reading is supported only by two uncial MSS. and five in the smaller character, of Griesbach ; by
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 34-9
one later MS, of Matthai ; and by the Syr. Arm. Clar. Germ. Ambrst. — Authorities quite insufficient to overpower the weight of external evidence for the received text, not to speak of that internal evidence, which I have been endeavouring to un fold ; especially when we consider the tendency of copyists and versionists to exchange what would seem to them a harshness in the original, for an easier, and, as they might think, a better reading. Several of our translators, among the rest, Drs. Heylin and Doddridge, and Messrs. Wesley and Wakefield, have thought proper to change S. Paul's order : a liberty quite inadmissible. The original ought, in all such cases, to be faithfully repre sented in the text ; any needful elucidation may be annexed in the margin. Such liberties, how ever, in the view of the last-mentioned gentleman, are mere trifles. In a note on another verse of this very epistle, he has the following words : "I " have followed my inclination here, in Anglicising " the peculiar phraseology of the ORIGINAL ; and " would gladly have followed it on many other " occasions, if prejudice could have borne it: but " too many still look with pious admiration on UNIN- <c TELLIGIBLE OBSCURITY." Let the reader judge between S. Paul and Mr. Gilbert Wakefield ! !
I shall only add, that individual scholars, when translating either separate books of Scripture, or the whole sacred volume, are too apt to depart needlessly from the language of our authorised Version : such persons would do well to consider deeply the words of a learned, sound, and most
850 SACKED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI,
accomplished critic : " The general fidelity of our " English translation has been never questioned, " and its style is incomparably superior to any " thing which might be expected from the finical " and perverted taste of our own age. It is sim- " pie; it is harmonious; it is energetic; and, which " is of no small importance, use has made it fa- " miliar, and time has rendered it sacred." Bp. Middleton on the Gr. Article, p. 328,
8e •sra^ayevojasj/oj agp^je^suc TMV a T>J£ psifyvos xoti
oy p£sj0o7ro<7]Toy, TOUTS^JV, oy raynjj -TY[$ ouSe §*' alftaroj T^ayaw xat ia Se roy *S<oy al^aro^, s ra
But Christ being come, an high priest of the future good
things,
Through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, Not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, Neither through the blood of goats and calves, But, through his own blood, hath entered once for all, Into the holy place, having acquired for us an eternal redemption.
Hebr.ix. 11, 12,
In this passage, the leading features are the pre sence of our great High Priest, and his entrance into the holy place, with an eternal ransom of his own acquisition : these, accordingly, occupy the first line and the last; next in importance, are the tabernacle wherein this high-priest officiated, and the blood which he sacrificially shed ; his own blood, the tabernacle of his human nature ; these occupy the second line and the fourth : last in
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 351
consideration are, the tabernacle made with hands in the temple, and the sacrificial victims there typically slain ; the blood of goats and calves; these are negatively introduced in the two central lines of the stanza. On a passage so important, it were impracticable suitably to enlarge, in a book almost exclusively philological. But I have no doubt, that the principles of Hebrew poetry may be suc cessfully applied, both to the doctrinal, and practical elucidation, of the whole context ; and indeed, of various passages in this most weighty epistle. In these two verses the epanodos is indisputable. It has been partially noticed by Dr. Hammond ; Comm. on S. Matth. vii. 6.
TOVTO p£V, OVel(7(J,Ql$ TS KOLl TOVTO $£, X.OIVCUVOI TCtiV
Kai yotg TOI$ SSG-^OJJ / xa< T>JV agTrayrjv TWV UTraovrwv vfivov psTa %ot£>ot$ TTPOCT*
Partly, indeed, being made a public spectacle, both by
reproaches and afflictions ; And partly having become partakers with those who
were so treated ;
For ye sympathized even with my bonds ; And the spoiling of your goods ye did receive with joy.
Hebr. x. 33, 34,
The Apostle is here desirous, effectually to remind the Hebrew Christians, with how great personal magnanimity they had, in former times of perse cution, risen superior to their own personal afflic tions and deprivations ; and with this, his leading object, he commences, and concludes, in the first
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
line, and the fourth. A subordinate circumstance remained : their sympathy, namely, with S. Paul in his imprisonment. This he was constrained by gratitude to mention, while delicacy induced him to mention it in the least obtrusive manner ; to insulate, as it were, his own sufferings, within the sufferings of his Christian brethren. The pa rallelism, it will be observed, in this central couplet, might have been made more apparently striking, had it been written :
TOUTO 8s, xoivcavoi jutov ourco? ava$-£s<p0|u,£vou xai ycy> roig 8e<rf/,o<£ pov cruvsTraSrjcraTe.
And partly having become partakers with me, when so
treated ; For ye sympathised also with my bonds.
But this would not have accorded with S. Paul's characteristic modesty ; it would, also, have too much narrowed the field: more were " so treated;" especially the rest of the apostles : " For I think," says S. Paul in another epistle, " that God hath " exhibited (av^sfe} its the apostles last, as appointed " to die : for we are made a SPECTACLE (eEATPON, " compare ©EATPIZOMENOI, above) to the world ; both
" to angels and to men/' (" xa* ayyeAoj^ xai avSgw-
enumerated as the constituent parts of 6 f, preceding." Bp. Middleton on the Gr. Article, p. 469.) See 2 Cor. iv. 9. The central couplet, then, explained by this passage of 2 Co rinthians, would thus resolve itself:
And partly having become partakers with the persecuted
apostles ; For ye sympathised even with my bonds :
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 353
and if with mine, " who am the least of the apostles, who am not meet to be called an apostle," (see 1 Cor. xv. 9.) how much more with the bonds of those distinguished men, who were not born out of due time, who followed Christ from the beginning, who never persecuted the Church of God ? Thus considered, the passage seems to be conceived and expressed in the very best manner of S. Paul.
In these observations, I have assumed a fact, which some may be unwilling to admit; namely, that S. Paul was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews : this is no place for the discussion of such a question ; but from evidence, both external and internal, my own conviction of this fact is established, on what I deem the most solid grounds.* It must, however, be observed, that, even though S. Paul did not write the Epistle, the epanodos stands good. The sufferings of the Hebrew Chris tians are placed first and last ; their sympathies occupy the centre.
The various reading, Seo^io^ instead of tiea-pois //,ou, the prisoners, instead of my bonds, has been ap proved by several biblical critics, and by Griesbach received into the text. Dr. Macknight has a sen sible, and, I think, a satisfactory note, in favour of the common reading. The learned Valckenaer uses an argument against the retention of Ss
* On this subject, I have been favoured with the perusal of the papers of a valued clerical friend; which, in my judgment, vindicate in a very masterly manner, arid by a great mass of internal evidence, hitherto, for the most part, unnoticed, S. Paul's right to this Epistle. I trust those papers will, one day, be made public.
A A
354 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
pov, rather incautiously : — " OTao-%ejv et G-V^OKT^V de " personis, non de rebus, ponitur. * o-upraaijo-a* itaque " TIVI significat sensu miseriarum alicujus qffici. a-up- " va^o-on 8so-nto»5 Graecum non est." Schol. in N. Test. vol. ii. p. 570. In the first place, it must be noticed, that the verb here is not o-o^aa-^w, but o-u^Tra^sco. In the next place, o-upraSeco is by the author of this epistle, elsewhere coupled, not with
persons but with things, a-vnirafya-ati rai£ ao-Sevsiaif
WOM. Heb. iv. 15. Thirdly, in commenting on this latter passage, M. Valckenaer himself does not question the purity of its Greek : on the contrary, he says, " sensu infirmltatum alicujus qffici, ab op- " timis Grascis scrip toribus dici potuit crufMra^™ " rotis a<r$sveiotis nvo$ :" and he admits the entire similarity of the phrase now under consideration with this unquestioned formula 5 " AD ISTAM
" STRUCTURAL! C. X. 34. legitur TOIS SEO-^OIJ jtxow
" o-vveTrotdvio-oiTs" This phrase, therefore, which " is not Greek," " might be used by the best Greek writers!" Fourthly, and lastly, Isocrates, a com petent judge surely, of what is, and what is not Greek, has connected <rupwa§sa> with things : " &$•£
So that each of us had many to sym- " pathise, even with our small mischances." Now, since it is unquestionably pure Greek to say, o-ypra- 3»j<ra< raij aru^i^s, where can be the solecism in saying, TOJ? Zea-poi; o-u/xTra^o-ai ? * The name and autho-
* These phrases may be elliptical : $£07x0^
rait;
\_^(uv~\. Ye sympathised [with me] in my bonds,
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 355
rity of so great a scholar as Valckenaer demanded that this lapse should not be suffered to pass, with out some animadversion.
ouoti vpiv, 6£yjyoi TV<pXoi} of 6$ uv OjU,ocnj sv TCO vctca, ovtisv
0$ §' OiV 0/X,OCOJ SV TO) %gVCTCti TOU VOtOV jtJUOgOJ Kill TU<p\Ol.
TI$ yoig psifav s$-iv} 6 YI 6 vcnocy 6 ayja^cov TOV
xcti [QVOU vpiv, 65>jyoi rvQXoi, ol
6$ eav Ojxocrrj sv TCO Swjaj-yjgjco, ouSsv
,
8'av Ootocrq gj/ rw coco rco STTOIVW CIVTOU
-siov, TO >j TO •ruo~<af)3^ov, TO ay»aov TO
6 ovv opoa'oic sv TCO •S'yo'iafy)^^
Ofivusi sv aura, KOLI sv Travi TOI; STTOIVOO xui o o[j,oa-ot$ sv TCO vaw,
opvusi sv aura), xa,i sv TOD KCM 6 O^OO-AJ sv TCO ougavcoj
OjtXVUSJ £V TCO tyoVO) TOV (&SOV,
XOil SV TCO XOtSSVCti STTdVW OLVTOU.
Wo unto you, blind guides ! who say,
Whosoever sweareth by the temple, it is nothing ;
But whosoever sweareth by the gold of the temple, is
bound : Ye fools, and blind !
For whether is greater ; the gold,
Or the temple, which sanctifieth the gold ?
And, [wo unto you, blind guides ! who say,] Whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing ; But whosoever sweareth by the gift upon it, is bound :
* The common reading is xaroixouvn. xaTOfx»j<raj/Ti occurs in nine uncial, and eighty-six other MS8. It has also been adopted in the editions of Complutum, and of Colinaeus ; of Bengel and Griesbach.
A A 2
356 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
Ye fools, and blind !
For whether is greater ; the gift,
Or the altar, which sanctifieth the gift?
He, therefore, who sweareth by the altar ;
Sweareth by it, and by all things upon it : And he who sweareth by the temple ;
Sweareth by it, and by Him who hath dwelt therein : And he who sweareth by heaven ;
Sweareth by the throne of God,
And by Him who sitteth upon it.
•S. Mz^.xxiii. 16—22.
The construction of these three connected stanzas is remarkable : Dr. Hammond has judiciously, but partially, observed upon it ; and to his observations some additions may be made.
In the first stanza, the temple is emphatically placed first and last; the gold being enclosed in the two central lines, thus :
Whosoever swreareth by the temple, it is nothing ;
But whosoever sweareth by the gold of the temple, is Yet, whether is greater; the gold, [bound: —
Or the temple, which sanctifieth the gold ?
And thus, by the very collocation of the words, due respect is paid to the depreciated temple.
Again, in the second stanza, the altar is men tioned first and last ; the gift upon the altar occu pies a central couplet :
Whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing ;
But whosoever sweareth by the gift upon the altar, Yet, whether is greater ; the gift, [is bound : —
Or the altar, which sanctifieth the gift ?
And thus, the gift, which had been so capriciously
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 35J
over-estimated, is thrown into the back-ground ; while the neglected altar is placed in the most conspicuous part of the stanza.
But it should further be observed, that, on a more extended scale, there is an epanodos in the passage at large. Throughout the first stanza, swearing by the temple is considered ; throughout the second stanza, swearing by the altar : in the third stanza, the altar is first resumed, then the temple ; an arrangement, which, by placing the temple first and last, fixes the climax where the Jews might least expect to find it. For the altar, they could not but retain some feelings of awful veneration : but the temple at large, they dese crated without scruple, by secularity, by impurity, and by profaneness. It is with singular propriety, therefore, that, by the very distribution of the stanza, greater prominence is given to God's insulted temple, than to his holy altar.
The third stanza is so disposed, as to form a magnificent climax: the way for this is cleared, by an expressive departure from the terms of the two preceding stanzas. In the first distich, when the altar is resumed, all things upon it, are substituted for the gift; a more comprehensive term for a less; a term, not only more comprehensive, but more sacred ; including the mysterious victim, and the heaven-enkindled flame. In the second distich, when the temple is resumed, it is not, as before, connected with the gold of the temple, but with its Almighty occupant ; with Him who, for ages, hath dwelt therein. The progress thence is easy, to the
A A 3
358 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
superadded and concluding distich, the consum mation of the climax : HEAVEN ; THE THRONE OF GOD ; and HIM WHO SITTETH UPON IT : and thus, by " due steps," we are ushered, as it were, into the presence-chamber of Omnipotence.
Two more examples of epanodos will close the present Section : examples which I have taken from that particular class, the members of which are clauses, sentences, or stanzas, rather than lines. In epanodoses of this description S. Paul abounds: a hint which they may find their advantage in pursuing, who wish to analyse the composition, and the mode of reasoning, of that apostle. And here, I would beg leave to recommend to the stu dent's attentive examination, the article CHIASMUS, in the " Index of technical terms" appended by Btirk to the third and best edition of Bengel's Gnomon. 1773.
Aoyou*
on si TI$ ctxgoctTY)$ \oyov ej-j, xa< ou
OUTO$ SOIXSV OLV$gi XOiTOiVOOUVTl TO OTgOcrWTTOV TYj$ ysVS(7£U)$
sv s(707rrgca' savroV) xai aTrsArjAy^s, xai su^ecoj STTsAa^ero OTTOIOS >jv :
TOV
gyov,
sv TY\ -sjojyjcrej CIVTOV
* The Paronomasia here is striking ; but inexpressible in our language : aKpoarui Aoyou — TrapaXo'yi^o^eyo* : perverting the word itself into a moral opiate.
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 359
But, be ye doers of the word ;
And not hearers only, deceiving yourselves:
For, if any one be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, He is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass ; For he hath beheld himself, and hath gone away ; And hath instantly forgotten what manner of man he was:
But he who looketh earnestly into the perfect law of
liberty, and abideth, This man, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the
work, This man shall be happy in his deed.
S. James, i. 22 — 25.
The force of this epanodos is manifest : the profit able doers of the word, are placed first and last ; the fruitless hearers, are kept in the two central stations.
TOL inraoym vxcov xa< Sore
avexhsnrrov sv roig ovgavoif onov xAeTmj? ovx QVTS cr>j£ $iot<p$£ig OTTOV yag s$-iv 6 £X£J xai Y KOitii
vpwv oi oa"$vs$ xai ol Xyp^vot xajojxevor
xoti u[j,ei$ 6ju.o»oi otv&ganrots GrgotrSexopevois TOV xvgiov laurwv, avaXucrei sx. rcav
ol $ouAoi 6 xugio$ evgyvsi Aeyco ujxiv, on
XOtl
A A 4
3(50 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
SOiV £A-C7)J SV
e%v ey. TJJ rgir^ <pu\oiKY) eX^yj, xai £ug>j
wiv ol * ^
TOUTO (.
otv, KUI ovx av oKyxe Siouijvai TOJ/ oixov aurou"
OTI rj cw^a ow So^sire, 6 vio$ row
Sell your goods, and give alms ;
Make to yourselves purses which wax not old ;
A treasure unfailing in the heavens ;
Where no thief approacheth ;
Neither moth corrupteth :
For where your treasure is3
There will your heart be also.
Let your loins stand girt about ;
And your lamps burning;
And yourselves like men waiting for their IorcF?
When he shall return from the wedding ;
That, when he cometh, and knocketh,
They may instantly open to him.,
Happy servants those 1
Whom their lord, when he cometh, shall find watching:
Verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself;
And make them recline at table j
And will come forth aiad serve them :
And if he come in the second watch,
And if in the third watch he come, and fin.d things so*
Happy are those servants !
But this ye do know :
That, if the master of the house had been aware at what
hour the thief would come,
He would have watched, and not have suffered his house Be ye, therefore, also ready; [to be broken through;
For, at an hour when ye think not, the Son of Man
cometh. & Lufo, xii. 33— 4a
SECT. XVI.] SACRED LITERATURE, 361
The reason of this epanodos may be given in a few words : to dwell upon its beauties, might exhaust many pages ; this latter exercise, then, J leave to the intelligent reader. The general character of the discourse which occupies this chapter, is grave, austere, and even awful ; it would seem, therefore, that it best accorded with our Lord's design, in this branch of it, to make, and to leave, an alarming impression; to place first, and last, the terrific image of the thief; and, in the conclusion, to assimilate his own second coming, to the sudden incursion of that thief: while the cheerful images, of prompt alacrity, of the return from a wedding, and of the feast in which he will himself wait upon his faithful servants, are, by their central position, kept subor dinate. This austerity, in this place, will be judged the more appropriate, when it is remembered, in what manner our Lord had been just interrupted by a covetous individual of the multitude : " Master, " speak to my brother, that he divide the inherit- " ance with me." This individual was now pre sent ; and, doubtless, many more of a similar dis position.
On the first two lines of the second stanza, Eu- thymius has a pretty observation : £«* ^ev row xeAeueiv
rrjv CTgajcT/xvjv ugsr^v VTroTiSeroti' £/a Se TOU SKI-* T»JV Sew£>jT<Jojv. sjcoSacn yotg KOLI 01 eg>ya- zrsgjs^coo-^a*, xai ol VIJ^OVTS^ Xu^vouj x«je»Vy ol jxsv, Iva eug-aAcoj t«rgaTra;<r»v ol 8s, iva Sscagovvrsg Siayam.
Tom. iii. p. 467. " By commanding them to be " girt, he recommends operative virtue : by com- '« manding them to keep their lamps burning, he
362 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVI.
" recommends contemplative virtue : for they who " are engaged in active business, usually have " their loins girt ; and they who devote them- " selves to studious watchfulness, have lamps burn- " ing : the former that they may be unimpeded " in their labour ; the latter, that they may perse- " vere in contemplation." See also Theophylact, in loc. who enlarges on the same distinction.
363
SECTION XVII.
IN a former section, the following observation of Bengel, on S. Matt. vii. 24. was quoted : " Salu- taria Deus ad se refert; mala a se removet." This benevolent decorum, as I there observed, may be accounted a kind of Euphemism ; and may be exemplified from other parts of the New Testa ment : a few examples follow.
TOTS sgsi 6 pot(nXsv$ TOI$ ex Sefjcov UVTOV
TOV -57«T£0£ (J.OV,
TOTS egsi xoti TOI$ e
-&ogeu£<r§£ OITT epov ol
ei$ TO OTU TO ajcoviov, TO riToipcuTpsvov TOD 8ia£oAw, xai TQI$
Then shall the King say to those on his right hand ; Corne, ye blessed of my Father,
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the found ation of the world.
Then shall he say to those also on the left hand ; Depart from me, ye cursed,
Into that everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
S. Matt. xxv. 34. 4-1.
In verse 34, where the righteous are addressed, THE KING is expressly mentioned as addressing them ; and so again in v. 40. 'o BASIAETS, THE KING :
364< SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
throughout the sentence, on the contrary, pro nounced on the wicked, this appellation seems to be carefully avoided ; in verse 41, we have simply TOTS egs*, then shall he say ; and, in verse 45, TOTS a-oroxgi&jcrsTai, then shall he make answer. In the case of the good, we have £e£<«;v 'ATTOT, HIS right hand : in the case of the wicked, indefinitely, e£ the left hand. In the case of the righteous, yir/ju-voi TOY nATPos MOT, ye blessed OF MY FATHER : in the case of the wicked, merely ye cursed ; the ever-blessed name, introduced, as it were, to heighten the happiness of the good, is not allowed to mingle with the malediction of the bad. In the case of the righteous, it is said xA^ovopjo-are, inherit ; no equivalent term is used toward the wicked : the force of this word has been well expressed by S. Chrysostom, on the place : oux em
o<p=iAoj«,eya : " He said not receive, but inherit ; " as domestic property, as paternal, as your own, " as due to you from above." And, lastly, in the case of the righteous, we have T>JV jiToipauriLsvyv 'TMIN /Sao-iAeiav Ano KATABOAH2 KO2MOY : the kingdom prepared
FOR YOU, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD I in the Case of the wicked, TO «rug TO ouwviov, TO yTOipourpe-
vov Tfl AiABOAn, KAI Tois ArrEAois 'ATTOY, that everlasting Jire, prepared FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS : a kingdom specially prepared for the righteous, and that from the foundation of the world : a fire prepared, not for wicked men, but for the devil and his angels, and without mention being made of a preparation from the beginning of the warld ; per-
SECT. XVII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 365
haps in order to indicate the more forcibly, that the future sufferings of the wicked are wrought for themselves, by themselves ; and not inflicted in consequence of any supra-lapsarian decree. I must here quote the words of a learned writer, which presented themselves to me, after I had committed the last clause to paper. " Ignis seternus praepa- " ratus est, non hominum generi, sed diabolis. " Nam ad vindicandos homines ab interritu missus " est Filius Dei, assumens non angelos, sed semen " Abraham Quotquot igitur ex genere humano " pereunt, sibi, non Deo, causam rejectionis et " damnationis adscribant." Strigelius *, Hypo- mnemat. p. 99- The language of S. Chrysostom is yet more fully to the present purpose.
CUTT ejuou ol xaT>j£ajU,evoi.] QUK STI UTTO TOU t&ctTgot* on at»TOU£ xaTyjgacraTO, «AAa rex. oixsux. spytx. ..... OTS sAeys,
ol suAoy>j|U,svoj, KXYigovo^craTs -njv /3ao-jAeiav, ETrrjyaye, r>jv rjroi- jx«ujxsv>jv upiv -sr^o jcaraboAi1]^ xo(Tjaou* Tregi Ss TOU VTUPO$ OVKSTI, aAAa TO ^TO<jU,ao-/xevov TCO Sia^oAco, xa< TQI$ ayysAo^ aurou. sycv [Asv ya^ TYIV j8ao~iAe<av u/x,iv y)TOi]Ocao~a5 TO Ss OTUP oux sn u^iv9 aAAa TW Sja^oAw, xa* TOJJ ayyeAo^ ai/TOU. e^eiSav £e U|a=jj lauTOUj svs^aAeTs, lauTOif Aoy/£e<r$s. Hom. Ixxix. in
S. Matt. torn. vii. p. 760. edit. Montfauc. " 1)^- " />«r£ ^om ?72e, ^ cwr^ed] It is not in this " case said, of my Father : for not HE, but their
* For the merits, and the sufferings, of Victorinus Strigelius, see his article, in Melchior Adam. Near the close of his learned, laborious, and exemplary life, he addressed the follow ing words to an intimate friend : " Scio meum vitae curriculum " et breve, et exiguum esse. Quare, in hac brevitate pere- " grinationis, ea dicam, scribam, et faciam, quae migrationem " in vitam aeternam non impediunt."
866 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
" own works cursed them When he said,
" Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom, he added, " which was prepared for you before the foundation " of the world : not so, respecting the fire ; but, " which was prepared for the devil and his angels. " As if he had said, I, indeed, prepared the king- " dom FOR YOU : but the fire, not for you, but "for the devil and his angels : and since you have " cast yourselves into it, impute the consequences " to yourselves."
A few MSS. and some Fathers, in v. 41, read,
instead OI TO ^TOi^a^^svoVy — 6 Iro^acrev 6 •cra'njg j«,ou* a
reading approved by Mill, and placed by Griesbach in his inner margin : it is, however, quite out of character with the context ; and clearly owes its origin to the supposed necessity for an equipoise to the clause TOU wargoj pov, in the address to the righteous.
I shall make but one other observation : those on our Lord's right hand, are repeatedly termed ol hxatoi, THE RIGHTEOUS : on the contrary, those on the left hand, are introduced without any counter- designation : they are not called U$MQI, unrighteous; they are treated as nameless persons : " then shall " THEY make answer ; then shall THESE depart." On the whole, it cannot be questioned, that, throughout this context, our Lord studiously se parates the name, the nature, and the original pre- appointments, of himself, and of the Father, from the miserable doom of those who work out their own perdition. The words of an apocryphal writer afford a fine comment :
SECT. XVII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 367
6 0£0£ Savarov oux ou5s TsgirsToti STT SXTHTS TQV
xaj e/xova T>JJ iSiaj aV5jor>jTO£ sTTOHfjarsv CCVTQV : avaroj ejcryjA^ev £J£ rov ol
God made not death ;
Nor is he delighted at the destruction of the living :
He created man for incorruption ;
And an image of his own immortality He made him :
But, by envy of the devil, death came into the world ;
And they provoke it, who are of his party.
Wisdom, i. ] 3. ii. 23, 24.
so£ sveiot<rou T»JV xou yvwguroii TO tivvotrov yveyxsv sv -aroXAyj crxeurj o^yrjj xaTyj^ricr^sva ei$ KOH Ivot yvagurs TOV wAourov T*JJ STTI crxsuy) sAsou^, «
But what if God, willing to manifest his wrath, And to make known his power, Hath endured, with much long-suffering, The vessels of wrath fitted for destruction ? And, that he may make known the riches of his glory, On the vessels of mercy, whom he hath before prepared for glory ?
Horn. ix. 22, 23.
This passage is, in many respects, parallel with the last example ; and, as such, it has been adduced by some commentators. The vessels of mercy are prepared, BY GOD, for glory : the vessels of wrath are fitted (it is not said by God) for destruction.
S. ChrySOStom, in IOC., Says, KUTYI^TIO-^SVOV ei$ aTrwheiav*
TOUTcf » TOV OiTTYlgTlCrpeVQV, OlXoSsV [AZVTOl, XOtl TZQig SCtVTOV I
$68 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
" fitted for destruction ; that is, the person fitted " from within, [domestically] and by himself/' The entire observations of this Father on this pas sage *, (Op. torn. ix. p. 616. edit. Montf.) may be read with advantage. — " xa-njg-no-i&eva sig airwXziav. gut " suam sibi pernidem contralmnt. accipiendum enim " xa-njgTKTjfcsva voce media, S. reciproca, ut Actor. " xiii. 48." Rosenmiiller, in loc. So the English translation of 1729, " that had been working out " their own destruction." If xarygTio-peva. be taken as the passive voice, it means " fitted by their own " wickedness," or perhaps, with Wolfius, we may properly understand several concurrent causes; " Man himself; the devil, the world, bad example, " inveterate habits," &c.
I cannot forbear extracting part of a note from the excellent Dr. Doddridge : " Every attentive " reader will, I doubt not, infer for himself the " great difference of phrase, in which they who are " vessels of wrath, and they who are vessels of "mercy, are spoken of: it being said simply of " the former, that they were Jit fed for destruction; " but of the latter, that God prepared them for "glory. A distinction of so great importance,
* The above recommendation may safely be extended to the Commentary at large of S. Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Romans. " Veteres, prtzsertim CHRYSOSTOMUS, multum de " Paulino spiritu trahens, plerumque hujus Epistolas sensus " satis bene sunt assecuti : novi scriptores, magnam lucem polli- " citi, plus caliginis intulere." Grotius, Intr. ad Annot. in Epist. -ad Rom. Is it not to be feared, that, during the lapse of two centuries, far more has appeared to confirm, than to contradict, the last-cited words of this illustrious scholar?
SECT. XVII. j SACRED LITERATURE. 369
C(
that I heartily wish we may ever keep it in " view, to guard us against errors on the right " hand, or on the left." Famil. Expos, in loc.
Respecting the phrases xanjgTio-fteva ^ air^M, and a vrgoyToipaarev ei$ tiofav, I would observe, that they are more than simply antithetical : preserv ation^ or deliverance, would have been a sufficient counterpoise for destruction: but the predisposi tions of God are infinitely bountiful ; HE PREPARES
FOR GLORY.
6f av o/xoAoyyjcnj ev s/xoi, s[j,7r%o<r§sv row avSgtwrcov, xcti o vio$ TQV ctv$gw7rov 6//-oAoy>30'sj sv aura;, s//,7rpocr^ev TWV
otyysXwv TOU 0£ou :
6 8e a£vvj(raju,gi/of jas, EVOOTTIOV TCUV otvbgooiFOQV, svwTTiov TMV otyysXwv roy
Every one who will acknowledge me, before men,
Him will the Son of Man also acknowledge, before the
angels of God : But he who will disown me, in the face men,
Shall be disowned, in the face of the angels of God.
S. Luke, xii. 8, 9.
In the case of the undaunted confessor, our Lord says, Him will THE SON OF MAN confess, or acknow ledge : but, in the case of the dastardly apostate, he says not, him will the Son of Man disown ; the phrase is softened into, he shall be disowned ; and studiously softened ; for the variation injures that parallelism of members in the second and fourth lines, which, in the first and third lines, is com plete.
In two parallel places, this euphemism is not ob served ; but sufficient reasons may be assigned :
B B
370 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
ovv
xayco sv aura), eft,7rgo(r§ev TOU •sraTgof JU.QU rou
raw ctvrov xayco, eTroo-ev rou t&aTo ^ou roy sv
Every one, therefore, who will acknowledge me, before
men, Him I also will acknowledge, before my Father who
is in heaven : But whosoever will disown me, before men,
Him I also will disown, before my Father who is in heaven.
S.Matt.TL. 32,33.
The presence in which the acknowledgement or the disowning is to take place, is far different in this, and in the preceding example : there, it is be fore the angels of God ; here, before God himself: in this latter case, the explicit mention of the Father, demands an equally explicit mention of the Son ; and to have left the solemn act of disowning indefinite, in such a presence, would have been to sacrifice the greater decorum, for the preservation of the less. The euphemism, therefore, has been most properly avoided ; and its avoidance is one among many presumptive proofs, of the accuracy with which the evangelists have recorded our Lord's discourses. Again :
f yotg av sTraia^uvyj /xs xa* TOUJ epovg
sv T>) yevsa TotUTYj TYI jOto^aAiSi xai xai 6 viog TOV avSgwTrov s7rotia'%vv§ii<r£Toti CUVTOV, orav eA$») ev T»J &o£vj TOU -crar^oj aurou, perot TWV
TWV
SECT. XVII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 371
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words,
In this adulterous and sinful generation; Of him also will the Son of Man be ashamed,
When he shall come in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.
S. Mark, viii. 38.
In this passage, it will be noted, there is no favour able side ; no antithesis between joyful recognition on the one hand, and indignant abrenunciation on the other. Here, therefore, is no room for euphe mism : unmitigated severity is the character of the whole paragraph ; and most justly ; for, let the occasion be considered : scandalised at the pre dicted sufferings of his Lord and Master, sufferings predicted by that Master and Lord himself; the apostle S. Peter had just incurred the sharpest rebuke on record in the gospels : GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN ! * For the good of the surrounding hearers, the impression of these words was not to be weakened ; and besides, that Jesus of whom some were ashamed, was to assert his own proper majesty as Judge of the world; and, in the strongest possible contrast with an adulterous and sinful generation, his own immediate presence was to be foreshown, as Lor4 of the great nANHrms in
* I am strongly inclined to think, that, while pronouncing this rebuke, our Lord may have had in view the subsequent fall of S. Peter. Certain it is, that, on the present occasion, there came out indications of the very same weakness, and false shame, which afterward led the apostle to deny his Lord. And it is not unlikely, that when, after that denial, Christ looked upon Peter, this very address may have flashed upon his self-convicted mind.
372 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
the last day, in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.
With one other example, I will close this topic, and this Section :
y>3 ya<> rj wovrot rov sir avTys vtoXXaxis egxppevov VSTQV, KOU TiKTOva-a POTO-VYIV evSerov exeivoi$ oY ou$ KCII ei euXoyias #7ro TOU ©sou.
xa* xara^a?
TO TeXoj e»
For the land which drinketh in the rain that often
cometh upon it, And produceth herbage fit for them by whom it is cul
tivated, Partaketh of a blessing from God.
But that which casteth forth thorns and briars, Ts rejected, and nigh unto a curse, Whose end is to be burned. *
Heb. vi. 7, 8.
The blessing of the fertile and productive land is said to be FROM GOD : the unprofitable land is said indefinitely, to be rejected, and nigh unto a curse ; and the destruction denounced, is to take place at the end, when no hope or possibility of amendment remains. Thus tardy and unwilling, is the divine severity 5 thus profluent is the mercy of Almighty God : to express the one, seems a matter of pain and difficulty : to express the other, a recreation and delight.
* An allusion to the eastern custom of burning thorny ground, with its crop of thorns and thistles. Conf. Dindorf, p. 486.
SECT. XVII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 873
Grotius remarks, that there is a felicity in the application of T/XTOU™ to the good ground, and e^s- gova-a to the bad : the former, bringeth forth a healthful issue ; the latter, casting forth, as it were an abortion. This remark has been somewhat sharply censured by Eisner ; and ably defended by Valckenaer, Scholae, torn, ii. p. 502. The fact is, that though sxpegouo-a be sometimes applied to fruc tification in a good sense, its meaning here is deter mined, by the antithetical form of the passage, and by the force of the adversative particle AE.
Mr. Wakefield, in v. 7, has this rendering ; " the " rain that is often falling on it from God ;" as though the original were egxopevov «TTO TOU 0sou- he adds also the following modest note : "so I ven- " ture to dispose of the phrase from mere conjee- " ture, because the passage is unintelligible and " absurd without it : see Acts, xiv. 17. Zech. " x. 1. Silva Critica, sect, cli." From Acts, xiv. 17. and Zech. x. 1. we learn, what no reasonable theist can doubt, that God sends rain and showers from heaven: from the cited section of the Silva Critica, I can collect nothing to the purpose ; there is, indeed, Mr. Wakefield' s confident assertion that the text is dislocated, together with his bold effort to replace the joints : his reading is, " y>j y«^
" >j 'GTlOVO'Ot TOV S7T <31UT»JV OTOAACOO^ SpyOLLSVOV VSTOV OtTTO TOU
< ou£ xai yscug-
suAoy<a$. Terra enim, quae bibit " pluviam saepe in illam descendentem a Deo, et " congruas herbas pariens, participat laudem agri- ** colarum.J> The praise of the husbandmen ! —
B B 3
374 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVII.
And is this all ? Surely that man is to be pitied, who accounts it unintelligible and absurd to say, that fertile ground partakes of the divine blessing ; and who can resort to such gratuitous tortuosities, in order to evade the natural, simple, and beautiful sense of the inspired penman. I cannot refuse myself the pleasure of here inserting the very applicable warning of a scholar far superior to Mr. Wakefield. " Qui talia in auctoribus profanis " periclitari vellet, omnium sibilis exciperetur, " nedum talia tentare licet in sacris, ubi critica " exercenda sobria et modesta, ut a superstitione " quidem libera, sic tamen multo magis a TE- " MERITATE." Valckenaer, Schol. in N. T. torn. ii. p. 360.
To the above examples, I must add one com municated by a friend, after the text of this work had been printed off in the first edition :
Them that honour me, I WILL honour ;
And they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
1 Sam. ii. 30.
375
SECTION XVIII.
IT sometimes happens in the parallelisms of the New Testament, that a precept is delivered, an assertion made, or a principle laid down, co-ordi nate reasons for which are independently assigned ; without any repetition of the common antecedent, and without any other indication of continued re ference to the original proposition, than the repeated insertion of some causative particle ; a TAP, for in- stance, or a 'OTI, a FOR, or a BECAUSE.
This peculiarity of construction has not altoge ther escaped the notice of commentators ; but I am not aware that it has ever been closely exa mined, or systematically exemplified. A few in stances of it, therefore, drawn together and ob served upon, may, I trust, be of some use to those students, who are desirous, in reading Scripture, to trace with accuracy the connexions and dependen cies of the sacred text. I will place my examples in the order of the books from whence they are taken ; as the most convenient for reference : and I will bring several examples from the Sermon on the Mount ; as most familiar to readers of every description.
eg-s,
TTCIV Ttovygov p>)jxa xad' ujxcov, \f/gu&OjU,evoi, svsxev
'OTI 6
TAP
B B
376 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
Happy are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute ; And, on my account, shall speak all manner of evil
against you, falsifying : Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : FOR great is your reward in heaven ; FOB so persecuted they the prophets who were before
you :
S. Matt.v. 11, 12.
Here two co-ordinate reasons are assigned, why our Lord's persecuted disciples should rejoice :
1. They shall obtain a great reward in heaven :
2. They are assimilated to the prophets. The re ference to a common antecedent is, in this place, too clear to be overlooked : it could never be sup posed, that the resemblance in point of suffering, between the disciples and the prophets, was assigned as the cause why the former should obtain a great reward : therefore I do not recollect any diversity of opinion among the commentators respecting the construction of this passage.
M>] vo/u-KryjTS or* yjA^ov xaraAucrai TOV vo/xov rj TOUJ 7T , aAAa
TAP Aey&o Icoj «v wageXSij 6 ovgotvoc KOLI f; y>], icora Iv, YJ pia xsgxia ou py 'sra^rA^vj,
U7TQ TOU VOfJLOV, £Cti$ UV ttUVTlX. ysVY\Tai '.
b; sav ovv Aucrvj pav TCOV £vroAo;v TOUTOJV TWV
xX>j^ij<T6Ta» ev TV) /SacrjAeja TWV ovgotvcov S'av -CTOjyjo-yj, xa» StSafrjj
sv T>
Asyw TAP
OTJ sav /xrj 7r€^cr(reu(r>3 rj 8iKaiO<ruvvj y TrAsjov >] rwv yga^fcarecov, xai Qotgurcuwv, cu xvj
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 377
Think not, that I am come to dissolve the law or the
prophets ; I am come, not to dissolve, but to fulfil :
FOR, verily I say unto you :
Till heaven and earth pass away, One jot, or one tittle shall by no means pass away, From the law, till all things be fulfilled : Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so,
Shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven ; But whosoever shall do and teach them,
The same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven :
FOR I say unto you :
That except your righteousness abound,
More than that of the Scribes and Pharisees,
Ye shall, by no means, enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
S.Matt. v. 17—20.
I "will confess, that, for a long while, the con nection of the last paragraph with the preceding exceedingly perplexed me : I was quite unable to discover its orderly dependance ; nor did the com mentators afford me the least aid. At length, I was led to distribute the clauses in the order now given, and immediately my perplexities were at an end : nor am I without hopes that my readers will go along with me, while I state the considerations which freed my own mind from all doubt upon the subject
In the second line, then, I conceive, there is a division of the subject into two branches : I. I am come, not to dissolve : 2. But I am come to fulfil.
378 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
The first of these propositions is then taken up and established : and the second proposition afterward undergoes a like process. This is, in fact, but the extension of a mode of composition, exemplified by Bishop Lowth, Prelimin. Dissert, p. xxiv.
" I am black, but yet beautiful, O daughters of Jeru salem ;
" Like the tents of Kedar, like the pavilions of Solomon.
Cant. i. 5.
" that is, black as the tents of Kedar (made of " dark-coloured goat's hair); beautiful, as the " pavilions of Solomon.
" On her house-tops, and to her open streets, " Every one howleth, descendeth with weepings.
Isaiah, xv. 3.
" that is, every one howleth on her house-tops ; " and descendeth with weeping to her open streets." In a similar way, the present example may be re solved into its component members :
1 . I am come not to dissolve the law or the prophets : FOR verily I say unto you,
Until heaven and earth pass away,
One jot or one tittle shall by no means pass away, &c.
2. But I am come to fulfil the law and the prophets : FOR I say unto you,
That except your righteousness abound, &c.
Throughout the first division, our Lord shews that he was come, not to supersede, or abolish the law : in the triplet, by asserting its permanent immuta-
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 379
bility ; and in the quatrain, by declaring the future degradation of him who should himself break, (xu<nj, referring to the previous xaraAuo-a*), or by his teaching, induce others to break, the least of the commandments. In the second division, with equal clearness, though not by so many topics, or at equal length, our Lord intimates that he was come, not only not to abolish, but to fulfil the law : as if he had said, " The Scribes and Pharisees are " zealous for the law : and, in their zeal, may sup- " pose that I am about to subvert it. The very " reverse, however, is the case. I am come, in my " own person, to fulfil, and in the persons of my " followers, both to command, and to facilitate, the " fulfilment of, the law. Be it known, therefore, " that unless your righteous conformity to the " law, both in letter and in spirit, far exceed that " of the Scribes and Pharisees themselves, you " can neither, in this world, be my true disciples, " nor, in the world to come, partakers of my ever- " lasting kingdom."
In the first line of the concluding triplet, the verb vregic-a-svo-Y) seems to refer to vrx^axrou, in the second line of the passage at large, in the same manner that Auo-yj, as we have already seen, refers to xaraAuo-a* : and, in these two references, there is, I apprehend, a curiously felicitous choice of words. Our Lord, in showing that he is not come, xaTaXva-cu, to abolish, or altogether to dissolve the law at large, forbids his hearers, AUC™/, simply to dissolve or break, the least part of the law : here, the descending scale in crime, is the ascending scale in morals. On
380 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
the contrary, when proving that he is come, gwa-oii, to fulfil, he instructs his disciples, not merely that their righteousness must be full, it must abound, or overflow, wegKro-suo-ij : virtue being here the subject, there is an ascending scale, not only in morals, but in words : the anticlimax in the one place, and the climax in the other, are alike ex pressive of ethical advancement.
8e, pj, /3«TroAoy»j<njTe, WCTTTS^ ol $oxov(ri TAP or* ev r>j -sroAuAoyja OIVTWV
]Ot»J OUV 0[J*OIW$Y}TS UVTOl$'
otis TAP 6 -craTy^ upwv cLv "%gsiav TOU iijxa^ a<r>jo-a/ ouv
But when ye pray, use not babbling repetitions like the
heathen ; FOR they think that by their much speaking they shall be
heard ;
Be not therefore like unto them : FOE your heavenly Father knoweth of what things ye
have need, Before ye ask him :
After this manner, therefore, pray ye.
S. Matt. vi. 7—9.
The common antecedent here, is the first line; a precept against babbling and heathenish repe titions in prayer : this precept is enforced by two reasons: 1. Such repetitions are the growth of misconception : *S. Such repetitions are needless : use not many words in prayer like the heathen ; FOR they do so, from error of the absurdest kind : use not many words in prayer like the heathen ;
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 381
FOR even before you speak, God knoweth your wants.
pj ovv
TI ipaycopev, rj r* rarico/xsv, *) TI
•sravra TAP raura ra £0vv] S otSs TAP 6 OTarrjg t^cov 6 OTI vergers TOWTCOV a
Be not, therefore, anxious, saying,
What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or how shall
we be clothed ?
FOR, after all these things do the Gentiles seek \ FOR your heavenly Father knoweth, That ye have need of all these things.
S.Matt.vi. 31, 32.
Here again, the precept against worldly solicitude is supported by two reasons : 1. This solicitude is heathenish ; 2. It is needless.
'oTI -srAaTeia y OTuAyj, KCX.I svgv^cugos y 680$, rj UTrayoura. si$ T>JV
xat cjoXXoi suriv ol euregxofjtsvoi Si' awrys*
'OTI g-svYi YI CTuX»j, xai Te^Xi^evvj »] 6Soj, r; aTrayoycra e»j rrjv ^«;>jv, xa* oAjyoi eicriv ol sugicrxovTs$ aurrjv.
Enter in through the strait gate : FOR wide is the gate, and broad the way, which leadeth
to destruction ;
And many there be, who go in thereat : FOR strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth
to life ; And few there be, who find it. _^
S.Matt.\u. 13, 14.
This passage has been involved in much needless difficulty. The clause, " For strait is the gate,
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
&c.," apparently refers to the clause immediately preceding, as its antecedent; and hence, com mentators have been variously perplexed in their efforts to ascertain the precise connexion and de pendence. Some would translate the second 'OTI, BUT; others, ASSUREDLY; a third, and very nu merous class, would adopt the various reading TI S-SVKJ y -sToA>j, HOW strait is the gate, and how narrow is the way! This variation is favoured by Theo- phylact, Euthymius, Grotius, Simon, Campbell, Griesbach, Matthai, Kuinoel, and several others ; also by our English translators, in their marginal reading. Many of the Fathers, one apparently copying the other, say that the particle TI is here expressive of ^wonder or admiration : but surely an exclamation in this place would ill accord, either with the didactic gravity of the subject, or, with the dignity of the divine instructor. Eisner judi ciously rejects the various reading, but fails to ex plain the passage. Bengel, too, rejects the TI, but understands the second 6n to mean BUT; as do Keuchenius, and Schleusner, under his tenth sig nification of 'OTI. Wells, ap. Bowyer's Conj., translates and explains the passage properly, as, it would seem, Beza and Piscator had done long be fore him. %
All difficulty is removed, by resorting to the principle of a double reference to a common ante cedent. Two co-ordinate reasons are assigned, why we should enter in through the strait gate : 1. a negative reason; the wide gate is the way, not to life, but to destruction : C2. a positive reason ;
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 383
the strait gate is the way to life. * The passage, accordingly, may be thus reduced to a six-lined stanza :
Enter in through the strait gate :
For wide is the gate, and broad the way, which leadeth
to destruction ;
And many there be, who go in thereat : Enter in through the strait gate ;
For strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which
leadeth to life ; And few there be, who find it.
To each reason, a powerful corroboration is an nexed. The wide gate is frequented by multi tudes ; we should be heedful, therefore, lest we be drawn into the vortex : the strait gate not only is not frequented by multitudes, it is found only by a few ; since, therefore, it is freely and plainly dis closed to us, we ought thankfully to use our pri vilege, and enter in. The strict parallelism of members is here happily infringed, for the purpose of giving additional force to the antithesis :
KOLI TroAAoi gjcnv 01 suregxopsvoi &»' xai oXiyoj eicnv ol sugia-xovres atmjv :
And many there be who go in thereat ; And few there be, who find it :
Strict parallelism, and antithetical equiponderance, would, in the second of these lines, have been
* Since writing the above sentence, I was gratified to find myself anticipated, almost literally, by the learned Walaeus; his words are : " Sic enim duplex causa datur, cur per an- " gustam portam sit intrandum : una, quia lata porta ducit " ad interitum ; altera, quia angusta porta ducit ad vitam " aeternam."
384« SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
satisfied with the simple repetition of ol eio-egx??-*™ $i wry! : but the truth of things, and the deep moral to be inculcated, both demanded, and ob tained the very significant substitution of ol ev§i<ncov-
I shall only add, that the origin of the various reading TI may be accounted for, either by the accidental omission of a single letter ; or, more probably, from the officiousness of some copyist, who presumed to alter, what he did not under stand.
KATA T>JV vroipo&onv TOW KATA ra s-o%siot TOV xai ou ATA X^ig-ov.
Beware lest any one make a prey of you, Through philosophy and vain deceit : ACCORDING to the tradition of men ; ACCORDING to the elements of the world ; And not ACCORDING to Christ.
Col. ii. 8.
Here there is an epanodos : xara T>JV Tragctdoviv a
refers to Via xsv^ awa-njj, and these clauses are di rected against proselytising Jews, whose traditions were vain deceit : xara ra g-o»^sia TOD xoa-pov, refers to S<a TYIS <pixo<ro(piot$, and those clauses are directed against sophistical Pagans, whose philosophy was at once shallow, and secular ; elementary ', and of this world.
In confirmation of this division, it may be ob served, that our Lord charges the Jews with teach
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 385
ing for doctrines the commandments of men, r« potTot avdgowrwv, tantamount to the tradition of men in this place ; see S. Matt. xv. 9. S. Mark, vii. 7. And that, in the same contexts, he severely exposes, the deceitfulness of Pharisaical tradition, which taught methods of evading the most sacred obliga tions : while S. Paul terms the Gentile philosopher,
a disputer of this World, <rw?i}T>jT>]j rou aiwvo$ TOVTOV,
1 Cor. ii. 20. And, in the next verse, adds, that the WORLD (6 xoo-^), clearly the Gentile world, by WISDOM (<ro<pjaf), tantamount to philosophy in this place, knew not God.
65 ovx e%si KOL& ypsgctv avayx^v, w<T7reg ol i&gOTsgov vi/rsg TWV ifiioov oc
STTSlTOi TWV TOU X«OW
TOVTO TAP STTOIYIVSV S^aTTaf SOtVTOV
o vopog TAP oiv§gcu7rou$ xa-^jpjcrev otg^iegs^y S%OVTOI$
TOV
Who hath not daily necessity, like the high -priests, First, for his own sins to offer sacrifice, Then, for the sins of the people : FOR this [latter] he did once for all, when he offered
up himself: FOR the law constituted men who have infirmity, high-
priests ;
But the word of that oath, which is beyond the law, [con stituted] the Son, perfected for evermore.
Hebrews, vii. 27, 28.
The division of the proposition in this passage is clear and explicit : 1. Our great High-priest is under no necessity of offering daily sacrifice for his own sins ; 2. He is under no necessity of offering daily sacrifice for the sins of the people : the two-
c c
386 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XVIII.
fold proof, of this two-fold assertion, is divided also with much distinctness, into two clauses; each commencing with the causative particle TAP : the proofs, however, are arranged in the inverted order, so as to form an epanodos : the second assertion is first proved ;
He needs not offer daily for the sins of the people ; FOR this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.
The first assertion is then proved ;
He needs not offer daily for his own sins :
FOR he is not, like the legal high-priests, a man with
sinful infirmity ; But, in virtue of the covenant, is the sinless Son per
fected for evermore.
The non-necessity of offering for his own sins, is Jirst asserted, and last proved, in order to give pro minence to the grand distinction between him, and the legal high-priests : he DID, once for all, offer sacrifice for the sins of the people : he NEVER did, NEVER could, and NEVER will, offer sacrifice for his own sins ; because he is, and was, and shall be, everlastingly PERFECT, and FREE FROM SIN.
TO
'OTI »)A$sv fj wqa. TOV 'OTI eyavS* 6
Put forth thy sickle and reap ; FOR the season of reaping is come ;
FOR the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev. xiv. 1 5.
In the printed copies, o-o* is read, after 6n but, with abundant authorities, it is dropt by Mill,
SECT. XVIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 387
Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach. The last two lines are by no means synonymous : the reasons assigned for reaping, are distinct, and progressive: 1. The proper season for reaping is come : %. The entire harvest, the harvest of the earth, is ripe ; is dried up, or withered ; and therefore demands the sickle.
ri£ ov ju,rj
xau So£a<ryj TO ovop/x. crow ',
'OTI (J,OVO$ 0(710$*
'OTI Travra ret, £§VYJ y^ovo'i, xoti 7rpo(7Xuvy]crou<F»v SVODTTIOV o~otr 'OTI rex. fiiKouwaTct crou
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,
And glorify thy name ?
FOR thou only art holy ;
FOR all nations shall come and worship before thee;
FOR thy righteous judgments are made manifest.
Rev. xv.
xon <pw; Xup^vou ou jutvj tpoiVYj sv <roi STI*
JiOil <pWVY) VUptylOU XOtl VUjW,(p>JJ 0V ^f\ ax.OV<T$Y) SV (701 £Tt •
'OTI ol £[j,7rogoi (7ou yjo~av ol psyi^ctves TY)$ yw
'OTI ev T>J <potg[j,/XK£ic<, (70U £7r\otVYi§y(7av Travrct rot. s-^vvj.
And the light of a lamp, shall be seen in thee no more ; And the voice of the bridegroom and bride, shall be
heard in thee no more :
FOR thy merchants were great ones of the earth ; FOR by thy sorceries were deceived all the nations.
R-ev. xviii. 23.
y) <rcoTr)gja, xa» y; Sofa, xaj rj rip], xai rj Suv#jU,j£, Hvgicu TOD 0gco yjjaajv : OTI aArj-^Jvai xaj S»xaj«» ai xgu7£i$ O.UTOV 'OTI exgivs rvjv T&ogvYjV TVJV /xeyaArjv.
The salvation, and the glory, and the honour, And the power, be unto the Lord our God : FOR true and righteous are his judgments ; FOR he hath judged the great harlot.
Rev. xix, 1, 2. C c 2
388
SECTION XIX.
IN a former Section, there occurred a specimen, (Rom. x. 13 — 18.) four lines of which, much resem ble a logical sorites ; the predicate of each preced ing line, becoming the subject of the line next in order. In the place referred to, (Sect. VIII. p. 125.) I gave examples of this mode of construction, from the prophetic poetry of the Old Testament : a few additional examples must now be produced, from the books of the New.
ere vrgo$ TOV
xcti d xgiTYi$ <rs 'GragaSw TCO xon 6 T&otxToo <re
Lest he drag thee before the judge ;
And the judge hand thee over to the officer ;
And the officer cast thee into prison.
S. Luke, xii. 58.
sv aura) «;>] f\v
XOtl Yj £«J>] >JV TO <£CO£ TCOV KOLl TO $00$ 6V TYI (TXOTlOt.
xai y; crxoTja awro ou
In him life was ;
And the life was the light of men ; And the light shineth in the darkness; And the darkness did not comprehend it.
S. John, i. 4, 5.
YI 8s
y) Bs 8ox<ju»»3,
SECT. XIX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 389
Tribulation worketh patience ; And patience, probation ; And probation, hope ; And hope maketh not ashamed.
Rom. v. 3 — 5.
ov$ isrgosyvwy xoti Grgooopicre, ..... ov$ 8s vrgooDgure, TOVTOV$ xcti sxaXsa-s' KCX.I ov$ sxaAscre, TOVTOV$ xoti sSocoucocrsv ovg 8s e8»x«»a;cr£, TOUTOUJ xai sSofacrs.
Whom he foreknew, he also fore-ordained, .... And whom he fore-ordained, them he also called ; And whom he called, them he also justified ; And whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom. viii. 29, 30.
(ruAAa£oucra, TIXTSI oi
Appetite, when it hath conceived, beareth sin ; And sin, when it is consummated, bringeth forth death.
S. James, i. 15.
ev T»J ts-jfei UJW-MJV T^V a
ev Ss T»)
ev 8e T>J
ev 8s TY} syxgctTsia, T*JV
£V §£ TVJ VTTOfAOVYj, T*JV
sv 8s T>J sucrs§s»a, TVJ
sv 8s T>)
Add to your faith, virtue ;
And to virtue, knowledge ;
And to knowledge, temperance ;
And to temperance, patience ;
And to patience, piety ;
And to piety, brotherly kindness ;
And to brotherly kindness, charity.
ZPet.i. 5—7.
The above examples, I presume, sufficiently illustrate this manner of composition ; and, as I
c c 3
390 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XIX.
am not desirous to multiply words, I shall not offer any observation upon them. Classical precedents of this style, it might, perhaps, not be difficult to adduce : the following elegant trifle is a close ap proximation :
y; yyj p
$s SsvS^s'
SaAacrcra §' 6 §' ^X»o^ d«X«(T(rav TQV 8* yhiov <7eAy/v>j.
ANACR. Od 19.
301
SECTION XX.
A LATE eminent Prelate, in a discourse " On the style of S. Luke's gospel," has some valuable observations on three of the select compositions preserved by that evangelist in his first two chap ters : the Song of the Virgin Mary ; the Song of Zacharias ; and the Song of the venerable Symeon. After a slight, but vivid sketch of the manner and character of those productions, this learned writer adds the following just and discriminative para graph : " Thus, then, we have three several poems, " for, exclusively of more essential claims to this " appellation, vestiges of their original metre sub- " sist not only in the Greek, but even in more " modern translations ; poems replete with senti- " ments, as indeed conversant about objects, " peculiar to inspired writers, distinguished by " characters suited to the situations which gave " occasion for them, and rising each above the " preceding in the importance and dignity of the " subject. In that of the Virgin, the considera- " tions are chiefly personal ; in that of Zacharias, " the great object is the salvation of the Jews ; " in that of Symeon, it is the light that should " ' lighten the Gentiles,' as well as be * the glory " ' of the people of Israel.' 3 Seven Sermons on Select Subjects by William [Cleaver] Lord Bishop of St. Asaph, p.
392 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
The poems thus properly characterised, it is my purpose to place before the reader, accompanied by some illustrative remarks. I shall follow the order of the evangelist ; which, as Bishop Cleaver has observed, is a progressive order ; the subject gradually rising in importance, dignity, and in terest. The song of the Virgin, therefore, is to be the object of our immediate attention.
KAI EIRE MAPIAM:
ou TOV
xai ryyaAAjacre TO Trvevfta, pov ETTI TO) 0sco TW <ro0TYigi 6-n e7re£As4>HV STTI T>JV raTreivaxrtv r>j£ 8oi>A>]£ OIVTOV tiov yagj owo TOV vvv fioixotgiovG'i ju,s 7T«(7a» a! ysvsai : OT< eTrojvjcrs jaoj /xeyaAsia 6 Suvaro^* xai ayjov TO ovOjaa aurou : xaj TO eAfOj auToy si$ ysvsot; ysvswv,
$ OiVTOV :
sv (3ga%iovi OLUTOV VTrsgytpavou; Sjavoia
xa*
xai -srouTOUVTaf saTrefejAev xevoyj :
^ OIUTOV
TW actj,, xai TW (TTrsaTi auTOU et TOV
AND MARY SAID:
My soul doth magnify the Lord ;
And my spirit hath exulted in God my Saviour :
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden ;
For behold, from henceforth all generations will call me
blessed :
For great things hath the Powerful One done for me ; And holy is his name :
SECT. XX. J SACRED LITERATURE. 893
And his mercy is from generation to generation,
Over them who fear him :
He hath wrought strength with his arm ;
He hath scattered the supercilious in the imagination of
their heart : He hath cast down potentates from their thrones ;
And hath exalted the lowly :
The hungry he hath filled with good things ; And the rich he hath sent empty away : He hath succoured Israel his servant ; In remembrance of mercy, (As he promised our Fathers) To Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
S. Luke, i. 46—55.
This beautiful hymn is formed after the model of the song of Hannah ; which, for the convenience of comparison, it may not be improper to annex, reduced to its hemistichal form :
AND HANNAH PRAYED AND SAID :
My heart hath rejoiced in Jehovah ;
My horn is exalted in Jehovah :
My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies ;
Because I rejoice in thy salvation :
There is none holy as Jehovah ;
For there is none beside Thee ;
And no rock like our God :
Multiply not your boasting, proudly, proudly ;
Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth :
For a God of knowledge is Jehovah ;
And by him actions are weighed :
The bows of the mighty are broken ;
And the tottering are girt with strength :
The full have hired themselves out for bread ;
And the hungry cease for ever :
The barren hath borne seven ;
And the mother of many children is enfeebled :
394 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive ;
He bringeth down to Hades, and lifteth up :
Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich ;
He maketh to fall, he also exalteth :
He raiseth up from the dust the poor man ;
From the dunghill he exalteth the beggar ;
To make him sit with nobles ;
And to make him inherit the throne of glory :
For to Jehovah belong the pillars of the earth ;
And he hath set the world upon them :
The feet of his saints he will keep ;
And the wicked in darkness shall be silent ;
For by strength shall no man prevail :
The adversaries of Jehovah shall be crushed ;
Upon them from the heavens will he thunder :
Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth ;
And he will give strength unto his king ;
And he will exalt the horn of his Messiah.
1 Samuel, ii. 1 — 10.
Nothing could be more natural, than that the Virgin Mary, in giving vent to her own personal feelings, on the unexpected honour which had been announced to her, should have had recourse to the similar expression, of similar feelings, on a similar occasion, recorded in the words of her predecessor Hannah. This pious woman, after a long period of barrenness, embittered by the taunts of an insulting rival, ^s a recompense for her sorrow of heart, her tears, her prayers, her vows, and silent ejaculations, had just become the joyful mother of a man-child ; whom, by a solemn obligation, she had given to the Lord ; and in whom, by the spirit of prophecy, she fore saw the future administrator of the Jewish polity,
SECT. XX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 395
and deliverer of the Jewish people. Full of grati tude for this mercy, what her heart conceived, she uttered with her tongue: and, under such circumstances, it is not wonderful, that her whole train of thought, and turn of expression, should exhibit certain peculiarities, undiscoverable in any of those previously recorded poems, which we find in the books of Moses and of Joshua, and in the book of Judges. Those compositions are grand, indeed, and elevated, and worthy of that inspiration which produced them ; but they have not that tenderness of spirit, that personality of devotion, and that eucharistic anticipation of good things to come, which characterise the Hymn of Hannah.* These features, it must be acknow- ledged, are abundantly prominent in the later Hebrew poetry; more especially in the book of Psalms; but, in those productions, they are fea tures differently modified ; the complexion, if we may so speak, and the cast of countenance, bear no sisterly resemblance to the complexion and countenance of the Song of Hannah. Not one of the Psalms was written to celebrate the actual birth of an infant ; not one of them was written by a female. These hints might be readily ex panded : but enough has been said to indicate the happy fitness, with which the blessed Virgin
* It would seem to have been a special appointment of Pro vidence, that Samuel, the founder of the schools of the pro phets, and the first regular institutor of prophetic poetry, was the son of a prophetess and poetess. Is it not probable, that he both inherited, and imbibed, from such a parent, some por tion of that spirit with which she was so eminently gifted ?
396 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
selected, or rather was guided by the Holy Spirit to select, a model for her song of praise and adoration.
But the model is by no means copied with ser vility : each production has its own distinctive cha racter. The song of Hannah expresses the feelings of Hannah ; the song of the Virgin, the feelings of the Virgin : the former clearly belongs to the Jewish dispensation, in an early stage of it ; the latter, no less evidently, bears the impress of later, and of happier times ; its personal, its national, and its religious sentiments, are all chastened by that mild and gentle spirit, which we might expect to animate the mother of the meek and blessed Jesus.
The song of Hannah, though uttered under full prophetic inspiration, is largely expressive of her own personal feelings : her pious joy, her conscious exaltation by the late happy event, her enlarge ment of utterance over her enemies, doubtless con taining an implied reference to those former sor rowful prayers, when her lips moved, but her tongue was not heard, — all are connected with a sense of triumph over her ungenerous rival Peninnah ; to this triumph, she continually recurs :
Multiply not your boasting, proudly, proudly ;
Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth : —
The bows of the mighty are broken ;
And the tottering are girt with strength :
The full have hired themselves out for bread ;
And the hungry cease for ever :
The barren hath borne seven ;
And the mother of many children is enfeebled : —
these are but a part of her allusions to the victory
SECT. XX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 397
obtained over her adversary ; and, after making every allowance, that, according to the dispens ation under which she lived, her piety was not merely conscientious, but profound, we cannot but feel, that her exultation partook largely of a spirit far beneath that, which enjoins the love of our enemies, and which forbids personal exultation over a fallen foe. Again, when passing from her own immediate concerns, to those of her country, as connected with the child now born, she is not led to dwell upon the peaceful glories of his priestly and prophetic rule, but on his future triumphs over the Philistine armies ; — and, perhaps, looking beyond him, to celebrate by anticipation, the triumphs of the warrior David : nor even, when she foretells the coming of a greater than David, THE KING, THE MESSIAH, does she view him in his character of PRINCE OF PEACE, but as an avenging tutelary God, arising to crush the adversaries of his Church and people.
That such should have been her personal emo tions, such her prophetic foresight, and such her mode of giving utterance to the one and to the other, was, doubtless, wisely ordered by that Good Spirit, who dealeth out his gifts with most gracious adaptation to times and places ; to the exigencies of each existing period ; and to the more extended interests of all succeeding generations. But, if the song of Hannah be closely examined, with reference even to these brief remarks, I apprehend it will appear unquestionable, that previous sufferings had not thoroughly subdued her temper ; that she had
398 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
not yet been enabled, like some later worthies, who rose above their age and dispensation, to sup press the workings of a retaliative spirit ; and that, in some particulars, a marked contrast may be anti cipated between her language, and the language of the meek and lowly Virgin.
That language we are now briefly to examine : and, if I mistake not, we shall find it every where breathing mildness, gentleness, and beatific quiet. After a calm, though fervent expression of holy joy, the first movement of her mind is, gratefully to acknowledge God's consideration of her low estate, and approval of her lowly spirit. Hannah had, in the fulness of her triumph, proclaimed the exaltation of her horn, that is, the accession of strength and power, consequent upon the birth of that son who had been granted to her prayers : that piety mingled with her triumph, I most cheer fully admit ; she refers the blessing to its proper source ; it is IN JEHOVAH, that her horn is exalted : but the striking difference is, that Hannah dwells on her aggrandisement, while the Virgin thinks upon the lowliness of her condition. Again ; the mother of Samuel rejoices that " her mouth is enlarged over her enemies:" how different the feelings of the mother of our Lord ! It does not appear from sacred history, that she had any enemies ; and who, indeed, could be at enmity with such a gentle spirit ? Happy, therefore, within herself, she contemplates the happiness to be diffused through all countries, and perpetuated throughout all ages, by the approaching birth of
SECT. XX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 399
her holy child Jesus ; and she feels delight in the conviction, that the .people of succeeding times will for ever sympathise in her rejoicing :
For behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
From the great things done for herself she ascends to the holiness, or, as it means in this place, the benignity, of God ; and to that mercy, inexhaus tibly treasured up, and bountifully poured forth, from age to age, on those who fear and love the gracious Giver. A topic then succeeds, appa rently of a different character, the celebration, namely, of God's dispersion and discomfiture of those who had arrogantly imagined vain things, But this celebration does not, as in the case of Hannah, partake, in the least degree, of personal resentment; the flame is purely kindled in the sanctuary ; it is an aspiration of admiring grati tude for the great event about to be accomplished : — the birth of the long-expected Messiah is at hand — but how is he to be born? of what parentage? in what circumstances of life ? with what prospects of future greatness ? — of parentage, in circumstances, with prospects, all eminently fitted to crush and confound the supercilious pride of those who expected in the Messiah a mighty Prince, encompassed with external grandeur, graced with titles upon earth, accredited by signs from heaven, and gifted with authority and power to restore the splendour of their nation, and esta blish its dominion over all the earth : — and be-
400 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
hold, — the carpenter's Son! With such an event in prospect, well might the Virgin exclaim :
He hath shewed strength with his arm ; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts !
This thought would naturally call forth a train of affecting associations. Depressed in worldly con sequence and estimation, she was still the lineal descendant of a royal race, whose glory had been long prostrate in the dust: and could she but re volve in her mind the dethronement of this race ? And could she avoid contemplating the contrast afforded, by her own miraculous elevation ? Their kingly honours are extinct ; but she, a neglected and forgotten daughter of the house and lineage of David, is chosen to be mother of that SON OF DAVID, of whose dominion there shall be no end, whose throne endureth for ever and ever ! How naturally, therefore, does she speak, with mingled gratitude, and awe, and almost melancholy joyful- ness ? —
He hath cast down potentates from their thrones ; And hath exalted the lowly : —
this exaltation of the lowly she still dwells upon : she contrasts it with the rejection of those other branches of the house of David, who, from wealth, power,, and connections, might have thought them selves qualified, if not entitled, to be parents or progenitors of such a Messiah, as they were look ing for :
The hungry he hath filled with good things ; And the rich he hath sent empty away :
SECT. XX.] SACRED LITERATURE. 401
The contemplation of Messiah's birth would natu rally induce a course, of pious reflection, concern ing the mercy thus vouchsafed, and respecting the oft- repeated promise of a great deliverer. And here, if any seed of vanity, any spark of self- exalting pride, had, by any means, lain dormant in the Virgin's mind, it must have inevitably ex panded, and exploded; especially as fuel was amply provided in the last prophetic words of Hannah's hymn :
And he will give strength unto his KING ; And he will exalt the horn of his MESSIAH :
How tempting the opportunity to blazon forth the titles of this long-predicted potentate ; to proclaim herself the parent of this king ; the mother of this great Messiah! But not such was the spirit of the Virgin. Her hymn concludes, as it com menced and proceeded, with words characteristi cally modest and simple ; but, from their very simplicity and modesty, peculiarly dignified and impressive :
He hath succoured Israel his servant,
In remembrance of mercy,
(As he promised our fathers)
To Abraham and to his seed for ever.
On the technical niceties and beauties of the Virgin's hymn, I have little to say ; on the clas sical illustrations of it, nothing : for the latter, I refer to the commentators ; the former must be sufficiently obvious to attentive readers ; and none, probably, but attentive readers, will have accom panied me thus far.
D D
402 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XX.
The climax in the first two lines, I have already noticed ; Section XV. page 310.
The following quatrain is a fine example of epanodos :
He hath cast down potentates from their thrones ;
And hath exalted the lowly :
The hungry he hath filled with good things ; And the rich, he hath sent empty away.
Let this now, be compared with an epanodos quoted from Hesiod ; Sect. IV. note (?.) p. 72.
With ease he lifts the low, the haughty bends ; The lofty levels, and the poor befriends.
In Hesiod, the elevation of the poor and undis tinguished, is placed first and last, to make, and to leave, a cheerful impression of the divine benig nity. In the Virgin's song, the exaltation of the lowly, and the feeding of the hungry, are placed in the centre : they relate to her own case ; and therefore, with characteristic modesty, she assigns to those particulars the least prominent situation.
403
SECTION XXL
IN the last section I endeavoured, by a tolerably close analysis, to illustrate the position of Bishop Cleaver, that, in the song of the Blessed Virgin, the considerations are chiefly personal. Accord ing to the same judicious Prelate, in the hymn of Zacharias, the great object is the salvation of the Jews. Now, this personal character of the Virgin's hymn, was promoted, as we have lately seen, by reference to a personal model, in the - beautiful song of Hannah. And, on similar prin ciples, we might expect to find the national character of Zacharias' hymn, sustained by approxi mation to a national model. But a proper national model is not to be sought in any single compo sition : we must rather look to a series of compo sitions, the productions of different writers, in different times, but all of the same nation, and partaking of a common literary character. And, to what series of this description can we, in the present instance, look with greater propriety or probability, than to the book of Psalms, which has somewhere been happily and not unjustly termed, the Liturgy of the Jewish people ? It will accord ingly be found, on close examination, that the hymn of Zacharias, not only in its general air, bufc in the particular form of its construction, ap-
D D 2
404 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI.
proaches nearly to the prevalent manner of the Psalms. That prevalent manner has been accu rately described by Bishop Horsley : " A very " great, / believe the far greater part, are a sort of " dramatic ode, consisting of dialogues between " persons sustaining certain characters. In these " dialogue-psalms,, the persons are frequently the " Psalmist himself) or the chorus of Priests and " Levites, or the leader of the Levitical band, open- " ing the ode with a proem declarative of the " subject, and very often closing the whole with a " solemn admonition drawn from what the other " persons say." Preface to The book of Psalms, translated from the Hebrew, p. xv. The dramatic or dialogue form, which thus pervades the book of Psalms, admits of considerable variety : its leading characteristic, however, is an alternate succession of parts, adapted to the purpose of alternate recita tion, by two semi-choruses in the Jewish worship. With this character of composition, Zacharias must have been familiar, both as a pious and literate Jew, much conversant with the devotional lyric poetry of his country, and as an officiating priest, accustomed to bear his part in the choral service of the tem ple. And it appears to me, that the true meaning, and even the grammatical construction, of this hymn cannot be satisfactorily elucidated, without resorting to the conclusion, that it was composed in that alternate form, so familiar to his mind, and so deeply associated in his heart with all his most cheerful, and most sacred recollections. I suppose, therefore, that the hymn of Zacharias opens with
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 405
a proem or grand chorus, declaratory of its ge neral subject, contained in the first line ; and then, immediately subdivides itself into two semi- choruses, resembling those distributed between the officiating Priests and Levites in the temple service. I further suppose, that each part or semi-chorus forms in itself a distinct continuous sense, incom- miscible with the sense of the alternate or re sponsive strains of the other part or semi-chorus : insomuch, that by reading the whole ode as one undivided poem, neither the meaning nor the grammar of it can be rightly comprehended : while, by uniting the scattered parts of each semi-chorus taken separately from the other, so as to form two distinct consecutive divisions of the poem, the sense of each, will be distinctly apparent, and the grammatical construction of the whole, will be freed from every embarrassment. Nor should it be omitted, that such alternations of sense are fre quent in Hebrew poetry : and the attentive reader cannot fail to recollect, that exemplifications of this particular construction, on a smaller scale in deed, but still undeniable exemplifications, have been adduced in the present work. I will now produce the hymn, distributed on the principles just laid down ; and I shall then endeavour to establish, by suitable observations, the propriety and advantage of this distribution.
S. LUKE, i. 67—79.
avrou £7rA>j<r3>) vrvevpaTOs aywv,
D D 3
406 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI
CHORUS. EYAOFHTOS KYPIO2 'O ©EOS TOY ISPAHA :
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
•on £7rscrxs\I/aTO [TOV Aaov aurotr]
2. SEMI-CHORUS. xoti £7TOi»]cre AuTgoxnv TOO Aaco aurotr
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
xai yjysi^s xsga£ crwnjgias yfjuv,
SV TOD OJXCO Sa^lS, TOU 'CTaj$0£ aUTOU*
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
eAaXyjcrs S<a g-o/Aaroff TCOV
TO)V CtTT aWVOJ OT^O^yjTCOV OtUTOU*
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
TCOV -srarsg&ov a^yjxvjj ayiaj aurou* bgxov ov vafj,o<T£ ctigo$ a^gaap, rov •srars^
rou fiouvoil fyW) ot<po£wcy ex. %si()0$ TWV s^Sgcuv r/jxcov Xargsvsiv aurco, ev
CtUTOV
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
ytxg ngo Trgoa-oonov 8ou aurou ;
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
rou Souvai yvcacriv a-wrygiois TCO Aaa; sv a^scrsj apotgnoov oturoov :
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
sv ol$ &re<rxffyoem ^/xaj avaroArj eTrjipavai TOJJ sv (TXOTSI xai crxia
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
TOO xareySuvaf TOU^ TroSaj rjx,«;v ?<j 68ov
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 407
S. LUKE, i. 67—- 79.
And Zacharias his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying :
CHORUS. BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL !
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
For he hath visited [his people ; j
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
And he hath effected redemption for his people :
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
And he hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, In the house of David his servant ;
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
As he promised by the mouth of the saints, His prophets from the beginning;
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
Salvation from our enemies ;
Even from the hand of all who hate us :
2. SEMI-CHORUS. To perform mercy toward our fathers ;
And to remember his holy covenant ; The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father ; Of giving us, without fear, delivered from the hands of
our enemies,
To serve him, in holiness and righteousness, Before him, all the days of our life ;
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
And thou, babe, shalt be called a prophet of the Most High; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare his ways :
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
Of giving knowledge of salvation to his people, By remission of their sins ; D D 4
408 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI.
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
Through the tender mercies of our God ; Whereby the dawning from High hath visited us, To shine on those who sit down in darkness and the shadow of death.
2, SEMI-CHORUS. Of guiding our feet into the way of peace.
For the reader's greater convenience, the Song shall be now divided into its distinct parts; the several members of each semi-chorus being respec tively brought together; and one alternate qua train of the second semi-chorus being adjusted, by uniting, as the alternation of sense demands, the first line with the third, and the second line with the fourth :
CHORUS. ETAOFHTO2 KTPIO2 'O 0EO2 TOT I2PAHA.
1. SEMI-CHORUS.
OTI £7T£o-x5\[/aTo [rov Aaov KOLI Yiysigs xsgxg
ev TO; QIXW a/ TQU TTOHO; avro
xai ex %e'£0£ Travrwv TOJV ^KTOVVTODV
XOtl (7V, TTCttilOV, TrgOtpyTYjS V^^OU
Y} yag Trgo TrgofrcuTrov K
sv off eTrscrxevf/aTO ^/xac r; avaroAvj s% v
SKKpOtVOLl T0l$ SV (TXOTSl XOtl (7X101 StXVOtTOV
2. SEMI-CHORUS. XOLI STroiro's Xyrwcriv TOJ Aaco
TWV air
eAeoj jtx-sra TMV 6v cocoa's Trgoc ab^aaw, rov
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 409
et$Qso$9 sx £i(>o$ TOW
sv
SV607TIOV
TOU 8ouva» yvcucnv rrjf crajryj^ja^ TOJ Aaa> CAVTQV,
SV
CHORUS.
BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL !
1. SEMI-CHORUS. For he hath visited [his people,]
And he hath raised up an horn of salvation for us,
In the house of David his servant ;
Salvation from our enemies,
Even from the hand of all who hate us :
And thou, babe, shalt be called a prophet of the Most
High,
For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare his ways : Through the tender mercies of our God, Whereby the dawning from on High hath visited us, To shine on those who sit down in darkness and the
shadow of death.
2. SEMI-CHORUS.
And he hath effected redemption for his people,
As he promised by the mouth of the saints,
His prophets, from the beginning,
To perform mercy toward our fathers,
The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father ;
And to remember his holy covenant,
Of giving us, without fear, delivered from the hand of
our enemies,
To serve him, in holiness and righteousness, Before him all the days of our life : Of giving knowledge of salvation to his people, By remission of their sins : Of guiding our feet into the way of peace.
4-10 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI.
Having thus distributed the hymn of Zacharias, according to the principles of the Hebrew dra matic or responsive ode, I must next endeavour to establish the propriety and advantage of this di&- tribution. Its propriety may, I conceive, be esta blished, by considering the sense which it affords.
The first line, as I already intimated, may be accounted a grand chorus, or proem, declaratory of the general subject of this sacred ode : the attri bution, namely, of blessing or praise to the God of Israel. In the next two lines there is, according to a very common usage of Hebrew poetry, a divi sion of the subject into the two great branches of God's mercy to be celebrated ; the visitation, and the redemption of his people ; 1. 6-n snea-xetyotTo [TOV Xaov
CCUTOU :] * ^. OTI STroirjcrs AuTgoxnv TCO X«o> aurou. The first
of these branches is, at intervals, pursued by the first semi-chorus ; the second of these branches is, with like intervals, pursued by the second semi- chorus ; and, as I hope immediately to show, the separate portions of each semi-chorus, when united, form a distinct, and most instructive sense, without break or interruption.
The topic given to the first semi-chorus by the Divine Visitation, extends no further, as I conceive, than the commencement of the Christian system ; the Epiphany of our blessed Lord. The horn of salvation is raised, that is, a Prince and Saviour comes into the world ; the nature of that salvation
* " on £7TE<rx£4>aTo.] Nimirum TOV \ctov, quod hie repetendum ex membro sequent! ; cui similia loquendi genera reperies, Prov. xxxi. 30. Genes, xxi. 1. 2. 24. et alibi." Grotius.
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 411
is next intimated, under the very general character of deliverance from enemies ; the herald or pre cursor is then introduced, to prepare the Saviour's way; and lastly, that tender mercy is celebrated, which has just begun to dawn on a benighted world. The entire substance of this semi-chorus, it will be observed, is initiatory or introductive.
The subject of the second semi-chorus, afforded by the Divinely -effected Redemption, is far wider in its range ; extending beyond the bare commence ment to the practical fruits, of Christian salvation. The whole succession of the prophets, from the beginning, that is, from the first promise made in the garden of Eden, is brought before our view : Abraham, the father of the faithful, is next intro duced as a party in the gracious covenant of pro mise : that covenant is then progressively opened out, as implying, deliverance from guilty terror, establishment in piety and goodness, knowledge of the ceconomy of redemption, and a safe guidance into the way of everlasting peace. As, in the former semi-chorus, all was but initiatory and introduc tive; so, in this latter semi-chorus, there is an or derly progress towards perfection. In the one, the closing words leave us at the terminus a quo, at the point where our Lord, upon his first coming, found the Jewish people ; sitting in darkness and the shadow of death : in the other, the very first words indicate a fulness of effect ; eno^e xvrgwa-iv, he hath effected redemption; and the concluding words bring us to the terminus ad quern ; the haven where we all would be ; THE WAY or PEACE : for, to men
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI.
or angels, no higher end can be proposed than that " Peace of God, which passeth all under standing."
In addition to the distinct and most instructive meaning thus afforded, there are certain verbal in dications, which tend further to establish the pro priety of this alternate distribution, by affording presumptive evidence of a separate continuity in each semi-chorus.
In the first semi-chorus, we have sTreo-xe^aro at the commencement, and sTrsa-Ks^aro at the close, indica ting a distinct subject begun and ended ; we have also Kzqa$ <7WTYigioi$9 and crwnjgiav put in apposition with it ; an apposition obscured, and altogether doubt ful, unless we dispose of the intermediate words, by referring them to another series of responsive verses.
In the second semi-chorus, we have EHOIHSE AU- Tgco<nv, and, in correspondence with it, HOIHSAI exso^: while the three gerundial infinitives, TOU bW«j, TOO 8ou- va», and TOU xarsuSyvai, all co-ordinately depend upon &*V»js ay**?, and, by the very fact of their gerundial form, are kept incommiscible with the intermediate infinitives, l™/*ao-ai, and eiri<pav*r, which intermediate infinitives, again, are, from this incommiscibility, referable to the first semi-chorus.
Some terms, it must be observed, are common to both semi-choruses ; but with such circumstantial variations, as considerably increase the probability, that these semi-choruses are distinct one from the other ; the former of them initiatory, and the latter, perfective. In the first semi-chorus, we have
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 413
f, in the second, yvw<nv <reo7>jgia£ : the horn of salvation raised, in the former case ; an intro- ductive measure : the knowledge of salvation granted, in the latter case ; a perfective consumma tion. Again ; in the first semi-chorus, we have o-TrAay^va eAeouj, the first risings, or emotions of mercy : in the second semi-chorus, we have «roi»j<rai steog, those risings, or emotions, brought into action, and productive of their natural result.
In thus attempting to evince the propriety of this distribution, I have, perhaps, made some pro gress towards the establishment of its advantage : but that advantage will be very apparent, if we refer to the numerous difficulties, both of grammar and construction, which, in this hymn, have exer cised the ingenuity, and almost exhausted the con jectures, of the critics. Those difficulties it would be foreign from the purpose of these pages to de tail, or even to enumerate ; but some estimate of them may be formed, from the bare inspection of the names annexed to different modes of account ing for the government of two words in this poem ; and from the additional fact, that, within the com pass of these twelve verses, there are about ten other questions of grammar or construction, which have, in like manner, divided the commentators : the two words to which I have alluded, are o-o^av and o^xov : I by no means pretend to give a full Synopsis Criticorum upon them : the following authorities have been derived from my own limited collection of books :
414
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXI.
V. 71. <r<soT>jpiav.] Governed of,
V. 73. opxov.] Governed of,
Governed of, TOU
Read,
bpxov.
Governed of,
Erasmus, Beza, Zegerus, Grotius, Lightfoot, Eisner, Wolfius, Ro senmuller.
understood after eXaXrjcrs. Goth, ver sion. Some commentators quoted, but not named, by Wolfius.
in apposition with xspas o-amjpias, verse 70, being enclosed in a pa renthesis. Euthymius, Homberg, Camerarius, Bengel, Bp. Pierce, Dr. Campbell, Noesselt, Fischer, Griesbach, Kuinoel. And as a possible, but not the best way, Lightfoot and Rosenmuller. This is the government afforded by the proposed alternate distribution.
. Zegerus, Grotius.
bpxov being put for o^xou, and re ceiving the accusative form from the subsequent relative ov. Eu thymius, Lightfoot, Eisner, Ben- gel, Stark, Krumbholz, Koecher, Valckenaer, Kuinoel. Pistophilus, Stockius, Markland,
ap. Bowyer, Conj. Theophylact, Beza, Vitringa, Bp.
Pierce.
Camerarius, Schmidt, Bos, Hom berg, Wolfius, Palairet, Black- wall, Georgius, Rosenmuller. in apposition with eteo$ . This way I do not recollect to have seen pro posed by any of the commenta tors : it is, however, supplied by the easy resolution of an alter nate quatrain, as exhibited in the above distribution of this Hymn.
SECT. XXI.] SACRED LITERATURE. 415
Such are the difficulties presented only by two words : as to the difficulties of the passage at large, I shall cite the opinions of one or two distinguished critics.
" This hymn appears to have been spoken in " Hebrew, not in Chaldee, the vernacular idiom ; " for the Jews still used Hebrew in their prayers : " Its not having been composed in the mother " tongue, may explain why the periods are so un- " rounded, consisting of many short clauses FORCI- " ELY brought together." Michaelis. Anmerk, quoted by Bp. Middleton in loc. When the learned Professor speaks of " clauses forcibly " brought together," he means, so brought toge ther, as to give & forced construction, to occasion a harshness in the composition.
" The Hebrew idiom and phrases of this hymn " appear to have occasioned inaccuracies in the " Greek, and exercised the acumen of the critics." Ellesly's Annotations.
" It is evident to any one who inspects the Greek, " that this hymn is deficient as to the full sense of " it, from verse 71, to verse 75." Whitby, Annotat.
I will now only request the reader to examine with attention, the two distinct semi- choruses into which I have divided this hymn ; and to pronounce, whether, in the grammar or construction of them, after this distribution, there remains the slightest difficulty ; whether the clauses are forcibly brought together ; whether there are any inaccuracies in the Greek ; and whether there is the least defi ciency in the sense. If) on all these questions, the
416 SACRED LITERATURE, [SECT. XXI.
decision be, as I think it must be, favourable, the conclusion naturally follows, that the proposed mode of distribution, which thus solves all appa rent difficulties, cannot be remote from the truth of things.
The novelty of this arrangement may possibly startle some readers. But, on the other hand, it should be considered, that the perplexities of commentators have arisen from their universal adoption (whatever may have been their minor differences) of one common course. Their at tempts at explanation have, without exception, proceeded on the principles of Greek philology. But, as Dr. Campbell properly observes, this Scrip ture song " is expressed in the oriental poetic " idiom, resembling the Psalms." Now, the effort could not be more extravagant, or less successful, to adjust the metres of an JEschylean chorus by the rules of Hebrew parallelism, than to account for the obscurities of a Hebrew ode, on classical principles, or by the mere grammatical idiom of the Greek language. My attempt, on the con trary, has been, to arrange this hymn according to certain acknowledged peculiarities of the Hebrew lyric poetry ; and the consequence seems to be, that, in virtue of this arrangement, combinations of words which baffled the skill of the ablest scholars, appear, in no respect, to transgress the just prin ciples of good grammar, good composition, or good sense.
I should not have omitted noticing, that, by the proposed arrangement, the impropriety is avoided,
SECT. XXI. j SACKED LITERATURE. 417
of attributing to S. John Baptist an office, which seems to be the incommunicable privilege of Christ himself; that of " giving knowledge of salvation " to his people by the remission of their sins."
On comparing the hymn of Zacharias with the song of the Virgin, it is remarkable, that, where the latter ends, the former begins ; with the testi mony of prophetic Scripture : that, while the Vir gin, from native humility, makes no express mention, either of the power of her Son, or of his descent, through herself) from the royal house of David, that power and descent are clearly and pointedly asserted by Zacharias : and, lastly, that the progress of the subject in importance and dig nity is indisputably certain ; the last, and highest theme of the Virgin, is a statement couched in the most general terms, that God " hath suc- " coured Israel." How beautifully, how practi cally, and with what elevation both of sentiment and language, that general notion of succour is ex panded, and advanced upon, by Zacharias, we have already seen. But the subject rises yet higher, in the song of the venerable Symeon ; which I pro pose to consider in the following section.
E E
418
SECTION XXII.
JLHE song of Symeon rises above the two preced ing, in importance, dignity, and interest. He does not, like the Virgin, confine himself to the expres sion of personal feeling: he does not, like Zacharias, exclusively celebrate the salvation of a single people: but, while his individual feeling is profound, and the expression of it, even at this day, is most affecting ; while " the consolation of Israel" had been his hope through life, and the arrival of that consolation is the signal for his peaceful dissolution, — the largeness of his mind and heart embraces all the world : and Gentiles and Jews, the be nighted nations and the chosen people, are, in his view, but one united family of the redeemed : he sees, with a prophetic glance, the standard of salvation raised before the face of all people ; he beholds, by anticipation, the meridian splendour of that luminary, which is to be " a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of God's people Israel."
We have seen, that the personal character of the Virgin's hymn, was promoted by reference to a per sonal model; and the national character of Zacharias' hymn, sustained by approximation to a national model : now, it is at least equally remarkable, that the evangelical and catholic spirit of Symeon, de-
SECT. XXII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 419
rives appropriate matter, and suitable expressions, from the evangelical and catholic prophet Isaiah. The universality of Christ's gospel, is the joyful theme of the expiring saint ; the universality of Christ's gospel, is, if we may so speak, the favourite prediction of the exulting prophet. It, therefore, seems extremely probable, that, both from conge niality of mind, and through the guidance of all- seeing wisdom, the venerable Symeon, while waiting for the advent of that Messiah, whom his aged eyes were to behold, had made Isaiah the compa nion of his secret meditations ; and certain it is, that meet fruits of such companionship are visible in the language of his dying song. That song we may now proceed to examine.
KAI EYAOrHSE TON ©EON, KAI EIHE :
VUV «7TOysl£ TOV ouoV (70U,
xara TO pr]|tx.a <rou, sv SJP>JV»J*
OTI etiov ol o<SaA&o» ,ou TO <7coT><ov crou
o
KCLI So£«v Xaov (row
AND HE BLESSED GOD, AND SAID I
Now releasest thou thy servant, Lord,
According to thy word, in peace :
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples :
A light for the unveiling of the Gentiles ;
And the glory of thy people Israel.
S. Luke, ii. 28—32.
In the last two lines of this poem, an allusion is made to two passages of the prophet ; which,
E E 2
'•bREU LITERATURE. [SECT. XXII.
accordingly, have been cited by many commen tators :
I will give thee for a covenant to the people ; And for a light to the Gentiles.
Isaiah, xlii. 6.
I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles ;
To be my salvation Oon-rjgiav. Sept.] to the end of the
earth :
Saying to the bounden, go forth ; And to those that are in darkness, be unveiled. [avaxaAup-
drjvcu. Sept.]
Isaiah, xlix. 6, 9.
a third passage has been adduced by Grotiiis :
And I will give in Sion salvation ; To ISRAEL I will give MY GLORY.
Isaiah, xlvi. 13.
That these three passages were present to the mind of Symeon, while uttering his hymn, I have no hesitation in believing : but there is a profounder, though less palpably obvious, reference, which the commentators have not noticed ; and which, I conceive, must be carefully examined, in order to the just elucidation of Symeon's prophetic words. Towards -this examination, a few preparatory hints may here be not unserviceable.
In the last section, it was observed, that, where the Virgin ends, Zacharias begins ; with the testi mony of prophetic Scripture. It may now be added, that, where Zacharias ends, Symeon begins. These three favoured individuals all spake as the Spirit gave them utterance ; and matters have been so ordered, that each subsequent, advances upon
SECT. XXII.] SACRED LlTERATUj(^
each preceding speaker, not only in the dignity, but in the chronological order, of their respective subjects. The Virgin gives vent to her immediate feelings ; and her subject closes with the birth of the Messiah. Zacharias opens & prospective, though limited field of vision ; he begins with the gracious visitation of Messiah's birth, and ends with the guidance of the Jewish people into the way of peace. But Symeon altogether passes by the first gathering of Jewish converts: he commences with the removal of the veil (aTroxaXu^v &MV. Conf. 2 Cor. iii. 18. iv. 6.) from the understanding and affections of the Gentiles ; and concludes with that final manifestation of divine glory, when, after the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in, all Israel shall be saved. And now, I may in vite attention to the words of the prophet :
Arise ; be thou enlightened ; for thy light is come ; And the glory of JEHOVAH is risen upon thee : For behold, darkness shall cover the land ; And a thick vapour the nations : But upon thee shall JEHOVAH arise ; And his glory upon thee shall be conspicuous : And the nations shall walk in thy light ; And kings in the brightness of thy rising.
Isaiah, Ix. I — 3.
" The subject of this chapter," says Bishop Lowth, " is the great increase and flourishing state of the " church of God, by the conversion and accession " of the heathen nations to it; which is set forth " in such ample and exalted terms as plainly " shew, that the full completion of this prophecy
E E 3
SATRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXII.
" is reserved for future times. This subject is " displayed in the most splendid colours, under a " great variety of images highly poetical, designed " to give a general idea of the glories of that " perfect state of the church of God, which we " are taught to expect in the latter times ; when " the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and " the Jews shall be converted and gathered from " their dispersions ; and the kingdoms of this " world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, " and of his Christ." Translat. of Isaiah. Note in loc. p. 257.
After a general statement so able and satisfac tory, it is needful only to add a few words of more special observation. The first two lines of the above extract from Isaiah form a beautiful and very significant epanodos ; which may be thus resolved into a direct parallelism :
Arise ; for the glory of JEHOVAH is risen upon thee ; Be thou enlightened ; for thy light is come.
The first of these newly-constructed lines, formed by the juxta-position of the first and last clauses of the original couplet, is an address to the Jews of the latter days ; fallen by their long and perverse rejection of the true Messiah, but now invited to ARISE, because the long-promised glory is RISEN UPON THEM. The second of these lines, formed by the two intermediate clauses of the original, is an address to the Gentiles ; long immersed in dark ness, but now called to BE ENLIGHTENED, because their LIGHT is COME. And what are this LIGHT,
SECT. XXII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 423
and this GLORY ? We are informed by the vene rable Symeon, whose words at once give and receive elucidation, to and from, the words of Isaiah : that " Salvation" which his eyes were just given to behold, or, (to resolve a common oriental ism into an equivalent unfigurative expression) that SAVIOUR, whom he had just taken up in his aged arms, is to be the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of God? s people Israel : an exposition, which fixes the sense of the terms in the prophet ; refer ring the LIGHT, to converts from among the nations ; and the GLORY, to Jews of the final restoration.
On the verbal proprieties and beauties of the passage from Isaiah, it were foreign from my pur pose to enlarge. The reader can scarcely have failed to observe the decorum, with which, in the opening epanodos, the first and the last place are given to God's chosen people. There is, besides, a manifest gradation in several of the parallel terms. To " arise" is more than to " be enlightened ;" the epanodostic form requiring that the more emphatic term should have the first place : while glory, and not glory in the abstract, but " the glory of JEHO VAH," is incomparably superior to simple "light ;" and here, the epanodos assigns at its close, the last as the most conspicuous place, to the most impor tant member. And lastly, the phrase, " is risen upon thee" exceeds, both in definiteness and em phasis, the expression, " is come." The progressive sense of the terms in the Song of Symeon, has been thus noted by the learned Markland : " Ob- " serve the distinction between <pco$, light, and So£«,
E E 4
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXII.
" an extraordinary glory, or glorious light ; <pcoj to " the Gentiles ; and Sofa to Israel." Ap. Bowyer, Conj. p. 193. ed. 4to. 1812.
The next words of Isaiah would, at the first view, appear to imply an utter retrogradation :
For behold, darkness shall cover the land ; And a thick vapour the nations :
But the retrogradation is only apparent ; the first couplet relates to the latter times; this couplet states the condition of things previous to these latter times : the darkening of the land, (THE land xar efo^ijv, Palestine, the holy land,) and the gross beclouding of the nations, refer to that interme diate prevalence of judicial infatuation, among the dispersed Jews, and of arrogant infidelity, among Gentiles nominally Christian, which prophecies, already partially fulfilled, assure us, must follow the Jlrst conversion of the nations, and precede the Jinal restoration of the Jews. For this important couplet, no equivalent, and no elucidation, are pro vided in the Song of Symeon ; but his subsequent address to Joseph and Mary, (omitting the paren thetic clause, which applies personally to the latter) appears to me elucidative of the prophet Isaiah, in an eminent degree :
OUTO£ XeiTCll £1$ TXTVXTW XOLl OiVOi^OKTlV OTOActfV SV TO)
sx 'sroAAwv xa^Sicov
Behold, this child is appointed for the fall, and rising again of many in Israel ;
SECT. XXII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
And for a mark to be spoken against; . . . In order that from many hearts disputations may be re vealed.
S. Luke, ii. 34, 35.
Of these lines, the first (I am ready to conclude) refers to the rejection of Christ by the Jews ; to the consequent rejection of the Jews by God ; and to their final restoration from this fallen state : the second line probably relates to the denial of Christ among the Gentiles ; whether opposing his mission altogether, or distorting arid evading the Scriptural evidence of his full and everlasting Godhead: and the third line may be explained, as relating at large to w/zbelievers and misbelievers, whether among Jews or Gentiles. The painful part of this predic tion, affords an awful commentary on that darkness in Isaiah which covers the land, and that thick vapour which covers the nations ; its encouraging clause, KM oivus-aa-iv CToAXwv sv TM icrgarjA, " And rising again of many in Israel," leads us, at once, to the first word of the cited prophecy, ARISE ! — that is, manifestly, RECOVER FROM THY FALL : but it leads us yet more particularly to the following quatrain :
But upon thee shall JEHOVAH arise ; And his glory upon thee shall be conspicuous : And the nations shall walk in thy light ; And kings in the brightness of thy rising :
Words prophetically descriptive of the Christian church in its consummate state ; when Jews and Gentiles shall be united as one fold under one Shepherd ; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall have induced the fulness of the Jews ; and when the
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXII
joint efficacy of these two ^Arj^ara shall have drawn kings to be the Fathers, and queens the Mothers of the Church, at length triumphant upon earth.
On the gradations of sense throughout the last six lines of the citation from Isaiah, I will not dwell : it may, however, be just noticed, that the glory of Jehovah, which, in the first couplet, is only said to have arisen, is here pronounced to be con spicuous ; an advance, as from the first appearance of the morning sun, to the bright effulgence of his noon-tide splendour. Towards the close of the chapter, the climax is carried yet higher :
The sun shall be no more thy light by day ; Neither by night shall the moon enlighten thee : But JEHOVAH shall be to thee an everlasting light ; And THY GOD thy glory !
V. 19.
On which verse, read Vitringa j and especially compare, Rev. xxi. 23. xxii. 5.
It remains, that I should make one or two part ing observations on the song of Symeon. The bre vity, united with the importance of this composi tion, bespeaks a mind familiar with the scope of prophecy, and long habituated to holy contempla tion : on such a subject, such a mind alone, could have been satisfied, with so few words; and by those few words, as by an electric touch, could have excited a vast train of thought in every pre pared and competent reader of the sacred volume. It is remarkable, that while Symeon is thus brief; the Virgin and Zacharias are comparatively diffuse.
SECT. XXII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
However this fact may be accounted for, the fact was undoubtedly productive of advantage* The topics of the Virgin and of Zacharias, could not fail to be intelligible, grateful, and beneficial, to any Jewish auditors, in whom the principle of piety existed : expansion, therefore, was, in their hymns, perfectly in place. The subject, on the contrary, of Symeon's Song, must, if fully expanded, have shocked the most inveterate prejudices of his countrymen * : compression, therefore, was, in this place, at least equally expedient. His deeply con templative mind had risen far above the level of his age and nation ; he both knew and felt more, than he could, with safety to himself, or, in that early stage, with advantage to his countrymen, have clearly promulgated. It would seem, therefore, to have been a wise and merciful arrangement, that he should have been just spared, to leave his testimony on record, in few words, expressive only to the intelligent; — (<p«;vav7a o-uvc7o«r»v) and, this service per formed, rather for futurity than for the existing generation, that the good old man should immedi ately close his days in peace.
The time chosen for the publication of this series
* At a later period, S. Paul, in his defence before the Jewish people, after narrating the circumstances of his conversion, added the following clause of the Divine commission which he had received : — u Depart : for I will send thee far hence, TO " THE GENTILES." And what was the consequence ? — " They " gave him audience unto this tvord, and then lifted up their " voices and said, Away with such zfelloivfrom the earth; — " it is not Jit that he should live!" Acts, xxii. 21, 22. Could this people have borne an expansion of Symeon's Song ? I trow not.
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXII.
of hymns, would seem corroborative of this conjec ture. The three poems could not, without injury, have been separately given to the world, so much light do they mutually reflect upon each other. All of them, therefore, were at once published, by the same author ; by S. Luke, the third of the evangelists in order of time ; who wrote expressly for the Gentile converts. Is it improbable, that all were withheld, till this advanced period, be- cause, at any earlier day, the third of the series could not have appeared, without needlessly, and prematurely shocking the prejudices even of good men ? " I have yet many things to say unto you, " but ye cannot bear them now," were the words of our Lord to his disciples : can we doubt, that the Holy Spirit who guided the evangelists, ex ercised a similar discretion ?
429
SECTION XXIII.
BEFORE I close these pages, I think it right to produce one or two specimens of the sententious and poetical parallelism from the New Testament, of greater length than any which have occurred in the preceding Sections. These may serve as a sort of praxis for the student ; and, if carefully examined, may afford him no inconsiderable as sistance, in his future efforts, to analyse the style of Holy Scripture, and to trace its orderly con nexion.
The first of these specimens is the SERMON ON THE MOUNT ; in selecting which, I have consulted the convenience, and, as I trust, the advantage, of the biblical inquirer. So many detached portions of this discourse have been already extracted and observed upon, as greatly to facilitate the appli cation to the remainder, of the principles laid down in Bishop Lowth's Preelections, and in the present work. And the discourse at large is so perfect an example of well-arranged composition ; the parts are so linked together by mutual depend ence ; and so contribute, by their union, to give the effect of one harmonious whole, promoting one great object, — the spiritual advancement of all who have minds to comprehend, and hearts to feel, — that I am persuaded it would be an act of in-
430 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
justice to the reader, not to place before him the entire production, in a form which 1 have myself found more elucidative of our Lord's method and meaning, than, perhaps, all the observations, of all the commentators, whom I have had it in my power to consult.
S. MATTHEW, iv. 25. v. vi. vn.
Kai rjxoA.oy3vj<rav UVTCO o^Koi •sroAAoi, «7ro rrjf yaX<Xaia^ xai xai legoo-ohvpwv, xai joySaiaj, xaj i&egotv TOV logfiotvov vs&? si$ TO ogog- xoti xa$io~avTO£ auroy, ol jW/a^yjTai ayroy xai, avoj^aj TO $-oju,a «yroy, Xsycov :
, o tnraj^oi rco •crveyjU-aTf OTJ aurwv sfiv rj
TOJV ovgavwv : ol VTevSovvTe^ on OIVTOI ol -crgasj^' OTI ayr ol vrsivctiVTsg KCHI SifywvTe; ryv Sixaio<n^V))V ort
ol sXsvjjXOvej' OT<
ot xa^a^oj T>) xa^Bia* on ayro< rov ol siovjvoTrojoi' OTJ ayro
ol SsSicojU.svot IVHXSV ox{xajoo"yv>5J' on ayrwv efiv r; /3a- TOJV ovgavcov :
jj,aixoigioi e^s, orav ovsj8iO"«;cr»v y
xai SJTTCOO-J •crav •crovrjgov pyjjtta xaS' yjacov, \I/eySo/x,svo^ Ivsxev
OTI 6 jcx/io'Sos yjacov •sroXyg sv TO»£
yap eSiw^av Toyj -srgo^vjTa^ Toyj
TO «Xaj T>JJ y»)j : sav 8s TO aXaj /xw^av^>j. sv T»V< en si /,
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 431
Toy
S7TUVOO OgOVg X£JjW,=V»j*
ouSs xaioycn Ayp^vov, xat TJ0£ao~»v auTOV VTTO TOV «AA* £7n T>JV Xup^viav, xa» \otfA7rei -srao-i TOJJ ev
OUTOJ XOL^CLTW TO ^60? UjlCCOV SjU,7T£0(r$£V TCOV
OTTCOJ *Sa)cr<v yju,a>v ra xaAa soya,
xa* 8o£a(r«xn TOV -craTe^a UjU-cov TOV sv TOJ$ ovgotvoi$
TOV
oux rjX^ov xaTaXtxra/, aAAa 'srXyj^cocrai : a^ Xsyco U/AIV av 'sraggAdi] 6 ovgavog xou r; yrj,
ev >5 /xia xsgaia oy jar; -cra^s^r), a?ro TOU vo/xoo, Iwj av -zrravTa yev^Taj : 6^ eav ODV Au(nj /xiav TWV svToAajv TOUTWV TOJV
xat oN/§a^>) OUTCO TOUC otv§gw7rou$, eAa^if 05 xA>j^>j(r£Ta< ev TVJ /3acnA£<a TWV 0£ 8* av CTO^o-y], xai SjSafyj,
OUTO? jxsyaj xX>)^yjcr£Tai sv T»J /3acriX£<a TCOV ovgavwv
OTI £av j
TOJV 'Ygoi^otTscov xai £i(T£X^»3T£ £*? T>jv f3oicrisio(.v TOW ovga
OTJ
av
Asyco yjw,<v 6 ogyi
T*J
^ av £*7rrj TCO a£A<p«; at/roy, paxa;
svo^og eg-oii TOD (ryveSgiw 6^ 8' av 6<7r*j, j&cogg,
? T>JV yg£vvav Toy
£av oyv /cTgoo'<p££yj£ TO a)^ov (Toy £?r< TO
xax£< jav»jo-^yjj OT* 6 a8sA<poc o-oy s^£i TJ xaTa troy
X£< TO Soogov (rou s^Trgoor^ev TOV ^y<rja$->)^ou, xaj
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXill,
xa,i TOTS sXwv, 'Grgoa'ipsgs TO wgov o~oy. KT-&* evvocuv TOO avTJ§iX«; crou Top^y,
1«JJ OTOy SI SV TYl 68«> jU,ST* OtVTOV
ju,r)7TOTg o-g •OTagaSctf 6 avnSixvjs TO; xai 6 xgiTrtf <rs •sragaSco TW UTDJ^STVJ'
Xsyco O-QJ ou jtxvj s%sX§Yj$ ecoj av aTroScof TOV ecr^arov
ou eya; Ss Xeyco W
OTJ Traj 6 /3Xg?raJV yuvaixa TT^OJ TO >j5rj saoi^su(rsv auryjv ev T>J xa^5<a aurou : s» 5e 6 o<pSatyu>£ (roy 6 5sf<o? (7xav5aA^e» <re, aurov xa» |3aX= «TTO <rou*
p (roi} Ivcx. aTroAvjrai iv T«JV jU.sA.wv TO crcojo-a crou /3x*j^y] e«^ yssvvav : xa< ej y; b'efia <rov ^sig crxavb'aX^si <rs, exxo^/ov auT»jv, xai jSaXs aTro (rou*
<7Vfj,<ps()Ei yag voi, Ivcx. otTro^Toii Iv TOJV /xeAwv croi/, xa» p) oAov TO awjtxa troy /SArjSyj eij yssvvav.
8s, OTI 05 av «7roXuo-»3 T»)V yuvaixa auToy,
syco 8s Asyco y/
OT* 6j av a7roXyo-») T»JV yyvaixa ayToy,
TragsxTOj Xoyoy Trogveiois,
TTOISI otVTyv p,oip^ao"^ai*
xai 6^ eav otTroteXvpsvYiv yaju<>j<r>),
oyx
aTroSwo-e^ 8s TW Kygico Toy? o^xoyj croy : syco 8s Asyw yj
sv TCO OTI Sgovo; gfi TOW 0soy
SECT. .XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 433
ev T>J y>),
OTi yTTOTToSfOV £$"' TWV TToSiOV «UTOU*
OTJ 7:0X15 £f J Toy ju,£y«Aoy fio
OTJ oy
s$"o> Ss o Aoyoj v[jt,ct)V, vai voti, oy oy TO $e Trepura-ov TOVTWV ex roy
on
xoti oSovra avn gyw Se Xsyw ttyuv, ja*] avTJf>]V«j TW
fj^ crs
xa< rco sovT* crot xpyjvat, xaj TOV p^trwva croy
atpej ayrco xai TO xoti 05-15 o"e ayyap£yo~£/ j
y?ray£ JEXET* auToy Syo TW aiToyvTi o~£ SiSoy xa/ TOV SfAovTa «TTO o~oy
OTi
TOV
TOV £>OV (TOV gyco §£ Agyco y
£yAoy£<T£ Toyj
noises TQi$ jouo-oycnv
y£vr3o~-&e y;o/ Toy Trotrpog vpwv TOV ev on TOV rjAiov ayToy avaTeAA£i £?n Trovrjpoy^ xai xat
£av yap aya7njo-»]T£ Toyj ayaTrcovTaj yjtta?, Tiva oyi xai ol T£Acova» TO
xat £av ao~7r«(T»5cr£ Toy$ aeA^oyc y^wv /xovov, TW T F F
434 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIIL
oyv = 6 vroiT vj*wv o ev
T>JV
roov avSp&Trcov vrpo$ TO SsaSvjva
£1 $S Wy£) fJ*KT$OV OVX £%5T5,
TW vraTpi upoWj rca sv TQI; ovpc<.VQi$.
orav oi/v
o UTTOxpirca
ratj o-yvaycoya^, xa* sv $o%Gi<r§wo'iv VTTO TWV
y«; UjU,iVj «7rs^oucr< TOV crow
rj <roy ^ sXs>]jutO(7yv>3 ev TW 6 -crarvjp croy, 6 /SAeTrcov sv TO; croi sv TOO (avscy.
xai orav
oyx scrr] wcrTrep oi
OTJ (jXoyo-JV, sv
TOJV
av Qotvaxri TOI$ Asyco yjotiv, ori cnrs^oua-i TOV pi<r§ov av ^ orav
£ TO
xAej<rac T>JV ypav croy, evfcoti TO) -syaTgi <roy, TW sv TCO 6 uraT>jp croy, 6 /SAeTrcov sv TCO x o~o» sv TCO
o*
yap OTI £V T*J -croAuAoyia ayTwv Eicraxoycr$yj<roVT£U* jtjtr] oyv 6/jtojco^>jTS auTOij. oiBs yap o -craTyjp y/xcov wv %p£*av £%STS, Trpo Toy yjxaj; ajTrjo~ai oyv -sj
SECT, XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE.
435
IIATEP 'HMHN 'O EN TOI2 OYPANOI2, 'AriA20HTn TO ONOMA 2OT, EA0ETH 'H BA2IAEIA SOT, TENH0HTn TO 0EAHMA SOT,
*fl2 EN OTPANH, KAI EHI TH2 TH2.
TON APTON 'HMHN TON EHIOT2ION,
AOS 'HMIN 2HMEPON-
KAI A-f-ES 'HMIN TA O^EIAHMATA 'HMHN,
'n2 KAI 'HMEKS A-HEMEN TOI2 O«t>EIAETAI2 '
KAI MH El2ENErKH2 'HMA2 EIS IIEIPA2MON,
AAAA 'PT2AI 'HMA5 AHO TOT HONHPOT. AMHN
eav yap a<p>jre TOJJ
a(p>j(rs< xa* u^iv 6 sctv §s jarj «(p>]T6 TO<J o
orav 5s ft,)) y<V£cr^e, oHrirep ol V yap rot,
ra TrapaTrrcojotara aurwv, upwv 6 oi)f>oivio$ :
T«
oturwv
«4a>]v Aeyco u/x<v, OTJ aTrs^oycri TOV cry £e, vyjg-suajv, aA.ej\[/ai crou T^V x. Koii TO -STpocrcoTrov crow vivpaj,
TCO vTarpi (rov, rco sv TOJ 6 OTaryjp <roi»5 6 /SAsTrcov sv TW croi ev TCO
OTTOU
STTJ TVJ$
$iopv<rG'Qva'i) KOLI sv ou
OTTOW OUTS CT>)J OUTS
ov
sxsi
yp^voj roy crco^aroj e$-<v o otpot sotv oyv o o^-^aXjU-oj croy a?rAoyf TO <7W[j,oi croy <^
F F
436 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
sav 8e 6 op
oAov TO (rco/j(,a crou crxorewov
SI OUV TCO <pCO£, TO £V (TOI, 0~?COTO£ g$-*j
TO <TXOTO$ -crocrov ;
SuvaTai Sucn nupioij SouAeueiv 13 yap TOV Iva jLucnjcrsi, xai TOV eTepov >j Ivoj avdsfeTa^ xa* TOU eTepou
TOVTO, Aeyco U/AJV,
TV] 4>u%>j Ujotcov, Ti TCO vwaTi vjt,(tiV TI
TO crcota, TOU
OTI ov (rTreipovviVy ouSs aTr 6 oupavioj
TIJ Ss si* UjOtcoVj jaspjjttvwv, ^uvaroti e-rn T>JV rjAtxiav auToy -srvj^uv Iva ;
T* fj,spi[j,votTe ; — Ta xpiva TOU aypou -crto^ ov XOTTIOI, ouSs vyj'&ej* Aeyco Ss uja»v,
OTI OU^S (TOXOfJWJV SV VTOKTYI T»J
•CTSpie^aAeTO aij Iv TOUTWV. ei Ss TOV ^opTov TOU aypou,
(TYjpSpOV OVTCt, KOLl UVftlOV £1$ x 6 @£0^ OUTCO£ ajW,<p/£VVU(TIVj
oy isroAAa; jt^aAAov Ujxa^ oA*yo7r*s"Oi ;
* I have here omitted xa; TI TO-UJTE, after some MSS. and most Versions and Fathers. These words overload the parallelism ; and were probably inserted by some copyist, on account of the subsequent TI <payufj.sv) H TI IIIOMEN.
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 437
ouv
j TI cna>jX£V, 17 -cravra « rawra ra edv
yag -craTyjg u//,cov OTJ ȣTe TOUTCOV
TOU
xa< T)jv 5<xajocryv>] xai raura -Bravra
(X.rj ouv psfHpVYiarYiTs si$ T>JV otvgiov ^ ya^ ctvpiov fj,sgip,VYi<r£i TO. agxerov T>J
, »va ft>) xg<3>)T sv a> ya^ x^ijxarj x^ivere, xaj £V
j TO xap^oj TO £V TCO otyaXpw TQD a£X<pou (row, Soxov
>) •CTCOJ sps*? TW afiXco o"ou,
a<p££, sx^aAco TO xap^oj a?ro TOW o^aXjtxoo croy 5
xa» iSoy, r^ Soxo? £v TCO opSatyuo crou ;
yTrox^Ta, £X^aX£ OTpcoTOV Trjv Soxov £x TOW o^Sa
xai TOT£ 5<a^X£^£i? £x£aA£jy TO xao sx TOU oSaAaou TOU
SCOTS TO ay*ov TO;^ xwo~r
TCOV
£V
, xat xai
xgovers, xai avo»y>]o-£Tai y •cra^ ya^ 6 aiToov,
XC« 6 ?*JTC
xaj TCO x^ouovTij avo<y*)o~£Tai :
»J TJ£ SfiV
6
rtScocr£i auTco 5 xai eav t
F F 3
438 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
ei ovv vfisis, ttOVYigoi OVTS;,
occurs SojU-ara ayaSa b^ova* roic TSKVOI; vpwv, •0700*0; jtxaAAov 6 wotTyg vpcuv, 6 ev TOJ$ ougoivoi$9
bW£i ayaSa TOJJ airoyo-jv aurov ; -cravra ouv 6Va av ^£X>jTs'Iva OUTCO xat U^EJJ OTOJEJTS OLVTOIS a» ol
OTJ icrXaT£»a rj -sruXifj, xaj sugv^oD^og rj 6Soj, ^ aTrayoucra e^ r*]V xa» -croXXoi sicnv ol sursozvoi 81*
oXiyoi £i<riv o
v \J/suS
ev evSu//,«cr/
Se eicri «TTO T
>j aTro
TO Se o"«7rpov SevSgov xa^Trouj -ccrovyj^ouj ou Si»vara» Scv5g»ov ayadov xa^Tio
Sevfigov (rctTrgov xctgnovs xaXov; SsvSgov jtxrj -C70JOUV XCC^TTOV xaAov, Trrera^ xaj eij 'cru^ |3«AAeTa» : aaye^ «7ro TOJV xa^Trcov ayrcov, £7r<yva)o-£o--3'5
Asycov jtx,
TCOV
«AA' 6 -C70JOJV TO sA>j|«,a Toy i&otTgo$ jtxou, TOU sv OVQIXVOI$ oi sv sxsivr] TVJ ypsgot,
oy TCW o~co ovo/xaTi xat TOO o~w ovOjW-aTi ftotipovia, s^s xai TCO (Tco ovojtxaTJ §yv«]X£/f -sroAAaf i TOT£ 6/jtoAoyyjo-a; on oy^ETTOTe £yvwv
T>JV
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 439
ouv b$-i$ axovsi jxoy TOV$ hoyovg TOVTOVC, xou vroisi OIVTQV$,
05-15 coxo^Ojarjcre T»JV oixiotv UVTOV em r*]V x«< XOCTS^YI rj
XOtl »J/.doj/ Ol
xcti eTTVEUvotv ol Koci Grgoa'STrea'oy TYI oixict. xoti ovx ewere* TsSepsXivoTO ya ETTI TY\V
KOU tffcn; o oiKovwv jaoy TOUJ Aoyoyj TO'JTOU^, xai /x,>) 5^i p,cagci}} T>JV o<x/av aurow STTI T>J
o
xai eTrveucrav o
KCil
a< yjv rj
xai sysvsTO^ OTJ o"HVsr£Ae(7£V 6 I>jo'oyj TOUJ Aoyouj TOUTOU^, trovro ol op^Xoi eTTi T>J S»Sap^yj aurou* vjv ya^ 5t5i<o"xa;v auroyj xa< oux cy ol
S. MATTHEW, iv. 25. v. vi. vn.
And great multitudes followed him, from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and beyond the Jordan : and seeing the multitudes, he went up to the mountain district : and when he had sat down, his disciples came near to him ; and having opened his mouth, he taught them; saying:
Happy the poor in spirit ; for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven :
Happy the mourners ; for they shall be comforted : Happy the meek ; for they shall inherit the earth : Happy the hungering and thirsting after righteousness ;
for they shall be filled :
Happy the merciful ; for they shall obtain mercy : Happy the pure in heart ; for they shall see God : Happy the peace-makers ; for they shall be called the
sons of God :
F F 4
440 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII
Happy the persecuted on account of righteousness ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven :
Happy are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute ; And, on my account, shall speak all manner of evil
against you, falsifying : Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : For great is your reward in heaven ; For so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth :
But, if the salt have become insipid, wherewith shall it be salted ?
It is good for nothing thenceforth, except to be cast out;
And to be down -trodden under foot of men : Ye are the light of the world :
A city cannot be concealed, situated on a mountain ; Nor do they light a lamp, and place it under the bushel ;
But upon the lamp-stand, and it shineth to all in the house.
So let your light shine before men,
That they may see your good works,
And glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Think not that I am come to dissolve the law or the
prophets ;
I am come, not to dissolve, but to fulfil : For verily I say unto you :
Till heaven and earth pass away, One jot or one tittle shall by no means pass away^ From the law, till all things be effected : Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so,
Shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven : But whosoever will do and teach them,
The same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 441
For I say unto you :
That, except your righteousness abound, More than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, Ye shall by no means enter into the kingdom of hea-
[ven.
Ye have heard that it was said to the antients, Thou shalt not kill ; And whosoever shall kill, Shall be liable to the judgment : But I say unto you :
Whosoever is angry with his brother causelessly,
Shall be liable to the judgment; And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca^
Shall be liable to the Sanhedrim ; And whosoever shall say, Moreh,
Shall be liable to hell-fire. If therefore, thou bring thy gift to the altar,
And there remember that thy brother hath aught
against thee ; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go;
First be reconciled to thy brother ; And then come, and offer thy gift.
Agree with thine adversary quickly,
While thou art on the way with him ;
Lest the adversary deliver thee to the judge ;
And the judge deliver thee to the officer ;
And thou be cast into prison :
Verily I say unto thee,
Thou shalt by no means come out thence,
Till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Ye have heard that it was said to the antientsy Thou shalt not commit adultery :
But I say unto you,
Whosoever looketh on a woman to desire her, Hath already committed adultery with her in his heart :
But, if thy right eye offend thee,
442 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
Pluck it out, and cast it from thee ;
For it is expedient for thee, that one of thy members
perish ;
And that thy whole body be not cast into hell : And, if thy right hand offend thee, Cut it off, and cast it from thee :
For it is expedient for thee, that one of thy members
perish ; And that thy whole body be not cast into hell.
It hath been said,
Whosoever will divorce his wife, Let him give her a writ of separation : But I say unto you :
Whosoever shall divorce his wife, Except on account of whoredom, Maketh her commit adultery : And whosoever marrieth a divorced woman, Committeth adultery.
Again : ye have heard that it was said to the antients, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, But shalt perform to the Lord thine oaths : But I say unto you, Swear not at all ; Neither by the heaven ;
For it is the throne of God : Nor by the earth ;
For it is his footstool : Nor by Jerusalem ;
For it is the city of the great King : Nor by thine own head shalt thou swear ;
For thou canst not make one hair white or black : But let your word be, yea, yea ; nay, nay ; For whatsoever exceedeth these, is from the evil one.
Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye ; And a tooth for a tooth ;
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 443
But I say unto you, Resist not the injurious person : But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
Turn to him also the other : And to him that will sue thee at law for thy coat,
Give up also thy cloak : And whosoever shall impress thee for one mile,
Go along with him twain : To him that asketh of thee, give ; And him that would borrow from thee, turn not away.
Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, And shalt hate thine enemy : But I say unto you, Love your enemies ; Bless them who curse you ; Do good to them who hate you ; And pray for them, who despitefully use you, and
persecute you ;
That ye may be sons of your Father, who is in heaven ; For he maketh his sun arise on the bad and good; And raineth on the just and unjust : For, if ye love them who love you, what reward have
you ?
Do not even the publicans the same ? And if ye salute only your brethren, what do ye ex traordinary ?
Do not even the Gentiles thus ? Be ye, therefore, perfect, Even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.
Take heed that ye practise not your righteousness Before men, in order to be viewed with admiration by
them :
Otherwise ye have no reward, From your Father who is in heaven.
When, therefore, thou givest alms, Sound not a trumpet before thee,
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
As the hypocrites dor
In the synagogues, and in the streets,
That they may have glory from men ;
Verily I say unto you, they have their reward :
But, when thou givest alms,
Let not thy left hand know,
What thy right hand doeth ;
That thine alms may be in secrecy ;
And thy Father, who seeth in secrecy,
Himself will reward thee in publicity*
And when thou prayest,
Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites,
Who love, in the synagogues,
And in the corners of the streets,
Standing to pray,
That they may be seen by men ;
Verily I say unto you, they have their reward :
But thou, when thou prayest,
Enter into thy closet,
And having closed thy door,
Pray to thy Father, who is in secrecy ;
And thy Father, who is in secrecy,
Will reward thee in publicity.
But, when ye pray, use not babbling repetitions like the
heathen ; For they think, that by their much speaking they shall
Be not, therefore, like unto them : [be heard ;
For your heavenly Father knoweth of what things ye Before ye ask him ; [have need,
After this manner, therefore, pray ye :
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, THY NAME BE HALLOWED, THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE, As IN HEAVEN, SO UPON THE EARTH i
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 445
THE BREAD SUFFICIENT FOR US,
GIVE TO us THIS DAY;
AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS,
As WE ALSO FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS ;
AND BRING US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE I AMEN.
For, if ye forgive men their offences ;
Your heavenly Father also will forgive you : But if ye forgive not men their offences ;
Neither will your heavenly Father forgive your offences.
Moreover, when ye fast,
Be not, like the hypocrites, of a gloomy countenance ;
For they disfigure their faces,
That they may appear fasters unto men ;
Verily I say unto you, they have their reward :
But thou, when fasting, anoint thy head,
And wash thy face,
That thou mayest not appear a faster unto men,
But unto thy Father who is in secrecy ;
And thy Father, who is in secrecy,
Will reward thee in publicity.
Treasure not for yourselves treasures on the earth;
Where moth and rust consumeth ;
And where thieves dig through, and steal : But treasure for yourselves treasures in heaven ;
Where neither moth nor rust consumeth ;
And where thieves do not dig through and steal For, wheresoever your treasure is, There will also be your heart.
The lamp of the body is the eye : If, therefore, thine eye be sound,
Thy whole body will be luminous ; But if thine eye be distempered, Thy whole body will be dark : If, then, the light that is in thee, be darkness, How great the darkness !
446 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
No man can serve two masters ;
For either he will hate the one, and love the other ;
Or he will adhere to the one, and neglect the other ; Ye cannot serve God and mammon :
Therefore I say unto you,
Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat ;
Nor for your body, wherewith ye shall be clothed ; Is not life a greater gift than food ;
And the body than clothing ?
Look at the birds of the air ;
For they sow not, neither do they reap ;
Nor do they gather into barns,
And your heavenly Father feedeth them ;
Are not ye much better than they ?
Which of you by anxiety can add,
To his stature one cubit ?
And why are ye anxious about clothing ? —
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ;
They toil not, neither do they spin ;
And yet I say unto you,
That not "even Solomon in all his glory,
Was arrayed like one of these :
If, then, the grass of the field,
Which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven,
God thus clothe,
Will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ?
Be not, therefore, anxious, saying,
What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed ?
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek ;
For your heavenly Father knoweth,
That ye have need of all these things : But seek ye first the kingdom of God, And his righteousness, And all these things shall be superadded to you.
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 447
Be not, therefore, anxious about the morrow ;
For the morrow will be anxious about its own concerns ;
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Judge not, that ye be not judged ;
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged;
And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured
unto you.
And why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, But considerest not the beam in thine own eye ? Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Let me take the mote out of thine eye ; — And lo ! the beam in thine own eye ? — Hypocrite ! Take first the beam out of thine own eye; And then wilt thou see clearly to take the mote out of
thy brother's eye.
Give not that which is holy to the dogs ;
Neither cast your pearls before the swine ;
Lest they trample them under their feet ; And turn about, and rend you.
Ask, and it shall be given unto you ;
Seek, and ye shall find ;
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you :
For every one who asketh, receiveth ;
And every one who seeketh, findeth ;
And to every one who knocketh, it shall be opened :
For what one man is there amongst you,
Who, if his son ask for a loaf,
Will give him a stone ? Or, if he ask a fish,
Will give him a serpent? If ye, then, being evil,
Know how to give good gifts to your children ; How much more will your Father who is in heaven,
Give good things to those who ask him ? Whatsoever things, therefore, ye would that men should do unto you,
448 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIII.
Do ye also in like manner unto them ; For this is the law and the prophets.
Enter in through the strait gate, For wide is the gate, and broad the way, which leadeth
to destruction ;
And many there be, who go in thereat : For strait is the gate, and narrow the way, which
leadeth to life, And few there be, who find it.
Beware of false prophets,
Who come to you in the clothing of sheep,
But inwardly are ravening wolves : —
By their fruits ye shall thoroughly know them : Do men gather from thorns the grape, Or from thistles the fig? Thus, every sound tree beareth good fruit ; But every corrupt tree beareth evil fruit : A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit ; Nor a corrupt tree bear good fruit ; Every tree not bearing good fruit, Is hewn down, and cast into the fire : By their fruits, therefore, ye shall thoroughly know them.
Not every one who saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven ;
But he who doeth the will of my Father, who is in Many will say unto me in that day, [heaven :
Lord, Lord, have we not in thy name prophesied ? And in thy name, expelled daemons ? And in thy name performed many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; Depart from me ; Ye workers of iniquity !
Whosoever, therefore, heareth these my words, and doeth them,
SECT. XXIII.] SACRED LITERATURE. 449
I will liken him to a prudent man, Who built his house upon the rock :
And the rain descended,
And the floods came,
And the winds blew,
And fell upon that house ; And it fell not : for it was founded upon the rock.
And every one hearing these my words, and doing them Shall be likened to a foolish man ; [not,
Who built his house upon the sand :
And the rain descended,
And the floods came,
And the winds blew,
And struck upon that house ; And it fell : and the fall thereof was great !
And it came to pass, that, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.
450
SECTION XXIV.
MY next and last specimen is of a different cha racter from the preceding. All commentators have observed the striking resemblance between portions of the Apocalypse, considerable both in number and extent, and the prophetic books of the Old Testament : and, since the days of Bishop Lowth, some have, though slightly, adverted to the poetical imagery and structure of those re sembling portions. The student who wishes rightly to apprehend, and to appreciate, the language of this last and most mysterious book of the sacred canon, will do well to compare attentively the se veral correspondent passages, of it, and of the pro phets ; a comparison in which he will be materially assisted, by the marginal references, of a good quarto Bible, or of Gerard Von Maestricht's Greek Testament. And, if he wish to institute the comparison yet more satisfactorily, he will reduce for himself the odes and songs of the Apocalypse to a versicular arrangement; and then compare the parallel passages of the prophets ; consulting the metrically arranged versions, of Bishop Lowth, Archbishop Newcome, and Dr. Blayney. By way of contribution to this pursuit, I propose giving a poetical distribution of the celebrated eighteenth chapter j the Epinicion, or Song of Triumph, on the
SECT. XXIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 451
downfal of the mystical Babylon : before entering on which, however, I cannot deny myself the gra tification of extracting two passages from the learned Sir J. D, Michaelis ; a writer, whose un warrantable and well-refuted prejudices against the canonical authority of the Apocalypse, did by no means render him insensible to the magnificence of its subject, the sublimity of its conceptions, or the matchless power of its language.
" The harshest Hebraisms, which extend even to " grammatical errors in the government of cases, " are the distinguishing marks of the book of Re- " velation : but they are accompanied with tokens " of genius, and poetical enthusiasm, of which (t every reader must be sensible, who has taste and " feeling ; there is no translation of it, which is " not read with pleasure, even in the days of " childhood ; and the very faults of grammar are " so happily placed, as to produce an agreeable « effect." Introd. to New Test. vol. i. part. i.
p. 111.
" The language of the Apocalypse is both beauti- " ful and sublime, is affecting and animating : and " this not only in the original, but in every, even " the worst translation of it. Who can read, if he " reads without prejudice, the following address of « Jesus to John sinking to the ground through « fear, and not be affected by the greatness of the " thoughts and the expressions ? — Fear not, I am " the first and the last : I am he that was dead, but « now liveth : behold I am alive for evermore, " Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death.
G G 2
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIV.
" The Apocalypse has something in it which " enchants, and insensibly inspires the reader with " the sublime spirit of the author. When future " blessedness is promised, or the new Jerusalem " is described, a man must be devoid of feeling " who is not affected : and when the author de- " nounces judgment to the wicked, and represents " the smoke of their torment ascending up for " ever and ever before the throne of God and his " angels, one must be either prejudiced before one " reads, or one cannot read without terror. A " great part of the imagery is borrowed from the 66 ancient prophets : but the imitation is, for the " most part, more sublime and more magnificent " than the original ; which is particularly true of " what is taken from Ezekiel." Introd. vol. iv. p. 533.
REVELATION, xvm. xix. 1 — 3.
xcti psTot TCWTX, etiov aXXov * ayysXov xctTaSaLivwra ex TOU ovgavou, s^ovra s£oucnav ^eyaAv^v xai y yyj e<p«rn<73yj ex r^ aVTOU. xai £xg«£sv sv wxy'i, <p«;vrj
STTEVSV, STTSffS,
y;
eysvero
xui (puAaxvj -syavroj ogveov
OTl £X TOU 0»VOU TOU §U[J,O TO. £^V>J'
xai ol /3ao-iA£^ T>JJ yyjj per atmjj
* Here, and in a few other places, where I vary from the received text, the reader may consult the critical editions of Mill, Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach.
SECT. XXIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 453
o exooi T$ >f ex
»jxoyo-a aAAvjv <pcov*jv ex Toy oupuvov Aeyoy<rav e£ ayrrjj 6 Aaoj
xui ex.
or* §x
xai SjW,v>jjU,ovsy(rsv eoj ra
aTToSors ayrrj, eoj xai
xai 5i7rX«;(7aTe ayrrj SiTrXa, xara ra epya
ev TW t&OTypiiQ co exspao-e, xspacrars ayrrj
ocra eSo£a<7ev layrrjv xai
TOCTOUTOV Sore
c-n ev rrj xapia ayr>jj
oy //,>j ia)% TOOTO, ev ju.ia ypepot Y)%QU<TIV ou
Kvpio$ 6 0eo^ o
o
orav e7rw(7i TOV xotwvov TV ctTro fjt,ctxpo&ev epjxorefj S*a TOV Aeyovrej :
»j or* jw-ia copa yjXdev ^ xpun$ <rov.
KOII ol epiropoi TVJJ yrjj xXaioycr; xaj tfrev-&oy«r<v STT*
or* TOV yo^ov ayTcov oy5e<j ayopa^et
yo/xov p^^yo-oy, xa*
xat.Ai^oy T/ju-joy, xa*
xa* (3vo-(rivov9 xai
xa* crrjpixoy, xsa xoxxivoy :
G G 3
454 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIV.
xoti 7rav <rxsvo$ SK JyAoy
xat no^oy KCLI
xat Syjoua/xaTa, xat pupov, xat Aj£ai/ov: xai oivov xai eAatov xat crgOuSaAtv xai CT/TOV :
xai ITTTTCOV, xaj psSwv, xa;
xai
xoti r;
xa< Travra ra Xnroipot KOLI ret, Xot^Trpoi onrw\£TO ano
xai OUXSTI oy /,> eva-eis OLVTOL.
ol epnopoi TOMTOM, ol 7rhovTYi<rctVTs$ aw*
<a TOV <o£ov TOW
/3y<ro-/vov, xai Trop^ypoyv, xa; xoxxivov, xa* xs^pycrcoju-evvj ev p^pycnco, xai Ai-^co T^IOJ, xat on ]U<<a wa *j>jjw,a;^>5 6 Tocroyroj TrAoyroj.
KOL\ 7rot o STT* TOTTOV xai OCTOJ T»JV
a?ro jw-axpoSsv sfijcrav, xa< /SASTTOVTSJ rov xa7rvov T>j? Asyovrec :
T/J 6/jto»a -nj yroAsi T^J xaj e£aAov p^oyv STI Taj xstpaAaj ct.vTcav9 xcti sxpa^ov KAatovTsj, xai AsyovTej :
sv y) g7rAoyT*<rav TravTe? ot SOVTS TO. ?ro<a sv
£X TKJJ
OTI ju,i
evtppctivov en9 OLDTY^ ovpctvs9
xai ot ay/o/, xai ol aTrofoAojj xat ot
OTt SXplVSV 0 0SOJ TO XplfACX. VfJ^CUV €%
xou ypev el$ ayysAoj ur^vpos AtSov w^ ju-yAov ju-syav? xat
SECT. XXIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 455
oy xai ^cov»j jwSagcoScov
$-cov ou j«,vj «xoyo->] ev CTOJ err
xa* 7ra$ Te^viT^ Trao-rj? rs%v>]f ov ^ su^eS)) £V ero* ou ju-rj ajcou<r^)j sv (ro< en* oy /x^ <p«v>j ev <roi srr
ou vy/^cpr]? oy fc») «xoy(r^>j ev <70i ori ol spnogoi croy yjcrav of jaeyifavej rr)? y»jr or; ev TV) <pa£|w,axeia croy eTrAavvj^rj^av Travra ra s^ xai ev aurr] aifta «rgo^>)Tcoy xai ayiwv eygeSv], TCOV
rayra, rjxoyo-a a>j (pwv>]V o^Aoy TroAAoy ^syaArjv ev TCO oy^avw^ Aeyovros :
xa< ^ So^a, xai >) r<p], xa* yj Syvajxi^ Kyg»w TW 0ew rj/xwv OTJ aArj^ivai xat 8<xai«j al xpjcrejj aurow or* exgjvs T>;V ?rogv>)v T»JV |&eyaA>]V, yjrj? etp^eige TVJV yrjv ev T*) Tropveta ayr>]$'
TO a.« TWV SoyAcov ayToy ex
xou
TWV
REVELATION, xvui.xix. 1 — 3.
And after these things, I saw another angel descending from heaven, having great power : and the earth was en lightened with his glory : and he cried mightily with a loud voice ; saying :
She is fallen ! She is fallen !
Babylon the great !
And is become the habitation of daemons ;
And the hold of every impure spirit ;
And the cage of every impure and hateful bird :
G G 4f
456
SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIV.
For in the wine of the wrath of her whoredom hath she
pledged all the nations ; And the kings of the earth, have with her committed
whoredom ; And the merchants of the earth, from the excess of her
wanton luxury, have waxed rich.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying :
Come out of her, my people ;
That ye be not partakers in her sins ;
And of her plagues that ye may not receive ;
For her sins have reached up to heaven;
And God hath remembered her iniquities :
Repay to her, as she also hath repaid ;
And double to her double, according to her works ;
In the cup which she hath mingled, mingle to her double ;
As much as she hath glorified herself, and played the
luxurious wanton,
So much give to her, torment and sorrow : For, in her heart she saith: " I sit a queen ; " And a widow am not I; " And sorrow I shall not see : " — Therefore, in one day shall come her plagues ; Death, and mourning, and famine : And with fire shall she be consumed; For strong is the Lord God, who hath passed sentence
upon her.
Then shall bewail her, and smite the breast for her, The kings of the earth, who have committed whoredom
with her, and lived in wanton luxury ; When they shall see the smoke of her burning ; Standing afar off, because of the fear of her torment; Saying :
" Wo ! Wo ! the great city ! " Babylon the strong city ! " In one hour thy judgment is come ! "
SECT. XXIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 45?
And the merchants of the earth, shall weep and mourn
over her ;
For their merchandise no man buyeth any more : Merchandise of gold and silver ; And of precious stones and pearls : A.nd of fine linen arid purple ; And of silk, and scarlet :
And every odorous wood, and every vessel of ivory ; And every vessel of most precious wood ; And of brass, and iron, and marble : And cinnamon, and amomum ; And perfumes, and myrrh, and incense : And wine, and oil ; And fine flour, and wheat : And cattle, and sheep ; And of horses, and chariots, and slaves : And the souls of men : — And the autumnal fruits of thy soul's desire, are gone
from thee ; And all delicacies and splendours, have vanished from
thee ; And never shalt thou find them any more !
The merchants of these things who were enriched by her,
Shall stand afar off because of the fear of her torment;
Weeping and mourning ;
Saying :
" Wo ! Wo ! the great city !
" She who was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet ; " And was decked with gold, and precious stones, and
pearls ! " For in one hour is brought to desolation this so great
wealth !"
And every ship-master, and every supercargo, And mariners, and all who labour on the sea, Stood afar off, and cried aloud, When they saw the smoke of her burning ;
458 SACRED LITERATURE. [SECT. XXIV.
Saying :
" What city, like the great city !"
And they cast dust upon their heads ;
And cried aloud, weeping, and mourning;
Saying :
" Wo ! Wo ! the great city !
" Wherein all who had ships upon the sea waxed rich,
" By her costliness :
" For in one hour hath she been made desolate !"
Rejoice over her, thou Heaven ! And ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets ! For God hath, for her crimes against you, passed sen tence upon her !
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a huge millstone, and cast it into the sea ; saying :
" Thus with violence shall be thrown down Babylon the great city, and shall be found no more ;
" And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and flute- players, and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more ;
" And any artificer of any ingenious art, shall be found in thee no more ;
" And the sound of a millstone, shall be heard in thee no more ;
" And the light of a lamp, shall be seen in thee no more ;
" And the voice of bridegroom and bride, shall be heard in thee no more ;
" For thy merchants were great ones of the earth ;
" For by thy sorceries wrere deceived all the nations :
" And in her the blood of prophets and saints hath been found ;
" And of all those who were slain upon the earth."
And, after these things, I heard as it were the voice of a
great multitude in heaven, saying : " HALLELUJAH ! " The salvation, and the glory, and the honour,
SECT. XXIV.] SACRED LITERATURE. 459
" And the power, be unto the Lord our God !
" For true and righteous are his judgments ;
" For he hath judged the great harlot,
" Who corrupted the earth with her whoredom :
" And he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand."
And, a second time, they said : " HALLELUJAH !" And her smoke ascendeth for ever and ever !
INDEX OF TEXTS.
GENESIS.
Page
xxii. 1,2,24 410
xlix. 10. . . 15. 30
EXODUS.
xv. 1—21. xx. 7
10
37
LEVITICUS. xix. 13 263
DEUTERONOMY.
xxiv. 14, 15 263
xxviii. 11 122
xxxii. 25 30
42 29. 55
JUDGES. v.4. 19,20 266,7
1 SAMUEL.
ii. 1—10 393—8
ii. 30 374
2 SAMUEL.
vii. 6.
250
JOB.
iii. 4 ,,, 28
v. 9 118
xi. 7,8 ib.
xxiii. 18 . 120
Page
xxvi. 5 28
xxxvi. 22,23 118, 119
xli.2 120
PSALMS. i. 1 . 41.324
- 2,3. -6.
45
218
ii. 1,2 135
xix. 7—10 26
xx. 7, 8 25
xxi. 1, 2 24
— 12 36
xxiv. 3, 4 40
xxxii. 9 242
xxxvi. 6 118
xxxvii. 1, 2 28
xxxix. 1 292
1—3 299
xlv. 6, 7 139
Ixxvii. 1,2, 16 27
Ixxxiv. 5, 7 55
xcv. 2 50
ciii. 11, 12 29
civ. 1 50
cvii. 38 37
cxii. 1 24
— 9 122
— 10 28
cxviii. 22, 23 127
cxxiii. 15, 16 53
cxxxv. 15—18 57
cxl. 3 302
cxliv. 5,6 27
cxlviii. 7 — 18, . 26
462
INDEX OF TEXTS.
PROVERBS.
iii. 9 24
— 11, 12 110—13
x.l 25
— 7 ib.
xvii. 6 299
xviii. 21 302
xxiii. 15,16 53
xxix. 26 25
xxxi. 30 410
ECCLESIASTES.
x. 1 302
SONG OF SOLOMON. i. 5 378
ISAIAH.
viii. 23. ix. 1 104—109
ix. 18 208
x. 16— 19 296
xv. 3 378
xxvii. 12, 13 54
xxxiv. 6 30
xxxvii. 16—20 142
xl. 13—15 119
xlii. 6 420
_ 7 50
xliii. 16 ib.
xliv. 26 31
xlvi. 13 420
xlix. 6—9 ib.
1.10 31,32
li. 1.4.7 46
Iii. 7 125, 126
Iv. 6 46
— 6,7 24.37
— 10 122
Ivi. 57 114
Ix. 1—3 421—426
Jxv. 21, 22 27
JEREMIAH.
xxiii. 18 119
xxxi. 15 101—104
Page EZEKIEL.
i. 27 54
xx. 47 296
DANIEL. vii. 26 152
HOSEA.
iii. 21, 22 125
x. 12 122
xiv. 9 31
JOEL.
ii.52 125
iii. 13 154
MlCAH.
v. 2 98—100
vii. 6 131,132
ZECHARIAH.
ix. 9. x. 1.
126 373
MALACHI. iii. 5 263
WISDOM.
i. 13 367
ii. 23, 24 ib.
vi. 12—16 85
ECCLESIASTICUS.
xix. 13—16 84, 85
xxviii. 17—23 303
TOBIT.
viii. 15—18 85, 86
xii. 7—10 86,87
1 MACCABEES. ii. 7— 13 87,88
S. MATTHEW.
ii. 6 98—100
ii. 18 101—104
INDEX OF TEXTS.
463
Page
iii. 11, 12 168
iv. 15, 16 105—109
— 16 ,.... 88
— 25. v. vi. vii 429—449
v. 3 ,...158
- 3—10 94
- 11, 12 375, 376
- 13—15 156—159
- 17—20 376—380
- 42 143
- 45 319—321
- 46—48 206—208
vi. 3, 4, 6, 17, 18. ... 106—167
— 7—9 380
— 19—21 212
— 24 336—338
— 25 95
— 31—32 381
— 33 47
vii. 1, 2 331—334
— 2 143, 144
— 6 95,338—340
— 7, 8 156—159
— 13, 14 381—384
— 16 306
— 16—20 195-197
— 21—23 231,232
— 24 363
— 24—27 213 223
viii. 20 149
x. 5,6 313
- 16 340—342
-32, 33 370
-34—39 131, 132
-40-42 233-238
xi. 16—19- 238-244
— 28—30 208—211
xii. 33 149
— 35 145, 146
— 36, 37 168, 169
— 39—42 176—191
xiii. 17 235
xv. 3—6 244-248
— 9 385
— 11 146
xvi. 1 190
— 2, 3 201—204
— 19 149
xviii. 6. . . 235
Page xx, 25 — 27 95
— 25—28 223—231
— 26,27 310
xxi. 5 126
— 42—44 127—130
xxiii. 4 211
16—22 355—358
xxiv. 7, 8 197—199
17, 18 314, 315
xxv. 34, 41 363-367
40 167,363
45 364
S. MARK.
iv. 22 162
— 24 331—334
— 39 174, 175
vii. 7 385
— 12 247
viii. 12 203
— 38 371
ix. 42 235
xi. 17 114—117
xii. 12 192
S. LUKE.
i. 13—17 95
-30—33 ib.
-35 ib.
-42—45 ib.
-46 ib.
-46, 47 143.310
-46—55 392—402
-52, 53 94
-67—79 403—417
ii.28— 32 418—428
vi. 20 158
- 38 331—334
-45 145
-47—49 221—222
viii. 17 162
xi. 29—32 177—191
xii. 4,5 205
- 8,9 369
— 22, 23 169
— 24 200
— 25 224
— 33—40 , 259—362
464
INDEX OF TEXTS.
Page xii. 43 144
— 47,48 204,205
— 54 202
— 56 203
— 58. „ 388
xiv. 10 167, 168
xvi. 9—13 249, 250
xvii. 2 235
xviii. 13 257
S. JOHN.
i. 4, 5 388
iii. 20, 21 147
— 36 150, 151
v. 19— 23 171
-29 147, 148
vii. 10 162
xi. 9,10 193—195
xv. 10 169
ACTS.
ii. 1— 3 299
iii. 14, 15 264
iv. 24—30 133—142
vii. 5 264
xiv. 17 373
xx. 21 342, 343
xxii. 21,22 427
ROMANS.
ii. 28, 29 162, 199,200
v, 3—5 388,389
-7 321—328
viii.29, 30 389
ix. 22,23 367—369
x. 13—18 124—127, 388
xi. 22 342
— 24, 26 48
- 33—35 117—121
1 CORINTHIANS.
i. 18—27 187—191
ii. 11 170
- 20 385
iii. 1 235
— 6,7 170
vi. 11 343,344
Page
xii. 26 172—174
xiii. 13 347
xiv. 25 162
xv. 9 353
— 21,22 170
— 47—49 204
2 CORINTHIANS.
ii. 15,16 344,345
iv. 9 352
ix.6 144
— 9, 10 121—123
GALATIANS.
vi.8.
144
EPHESIANS.
i. 15 345,346
iv. 13 235
— 18 192
v. 14 149, 150
COLOSSIANS.
i,4 345, 346
ii. 8 384, 385
1 THESSALONIANS.
v. 7,8 199
2 THESSALONIANS.
ii.8 151—153,312
PHILEMON. 5 345—349
HEBREWS.
iv. 15 354
vi. 7,8 372—374
vii. 27,28 385,386
ix. 11, 12 350, 351
x. 33,34 351—354
xi. 9. . 250
— 31 233
xii. 5, 6 109—113
S. JAMES.
i. 9, 10 148
- 15. . 389
INDEX OF TEXTS.
465
Page
i. 17 316—319
-22—25 358,359
ii. 25 233
iii. 1—12 273—308
iv. 6-10 250—257
— 8 148. 312
v. 1—6 257—268
-5 313
2 S. PETER. i. 5— 7 389
1 S. JOHN.
ii. 12— 14 235
-15—17 268—272
iv. 6 . 169
S. JUDE.
11
REVELATION.
Page 153
ix. 6 315
xiv. 15 386, 387
xiv. 15— 18 153—155
xv. 4 387
xviii. xix. 1—3 452—459
xviii. 23 387
xix. 1, 2 387
xx. 13 148
xxi. 23 426
xxii. 5 426
-, 11 329—331
H H
INDEX OF NAMES.
A.
ABARBANEL, p. 14.
Aben Ezra, 42.
Addison, 294.
JElian, 236. 326.
JEsop, 240.
^Eschylus, 95. 242. 261.
Alberti, 108. 307.
Alexander Aphrod. 292.
Amelias, 317.
Ammon, 94, 95.
Anacreon, 300. 390.
Anton, 13.
Antoninus Florent. 107.
Antoninus Marcus, 272.
Arias Montanus, 64.
Aristotle, 295.
Artemidorus, 293.
Asarias, 14.
August!, 282.
Augustine, Saint, 40. 91. 172.
B.
Bacon, Lord, 59. 67.
Barnes, 242.
Bauer, 13. 22. 32.
Beausobre, 235.
Bedford, 12.
Bellermann, 13.
Bengel, 70. 107. 109. 121. 132.
145.148.153.154.161.202.
206. 219. 224, 330. 355. 358.
363. 382. 387. 414. 452. Benson, 271. 284.348. Bentley, 265. Bernard, Saint, 211. Beza, 112, 113.325.414.
H H
Biel, p. 51.
Birch, 146.
Blackwall, 348. 414.
Blair, 100.
Blayney, 82. 84. 450.
Bochart, 178. 324.
Boeder, 93, 94.
Boerhaave, 45.
Bomare, 179.
Bos, 73. 134. 240. 307. 414.
Boswell, 8.
Bowyer, 142. 235. 240. 250.
382. 414.
Boyle, Robert, 39, Boys, 74. Bretschneider, 51. Broome, 71. Buddeus, 14. Bull, Bp. 316. 319. Burk, 358. Butler, 94. Buxtorf, 10. 14.
C.
Cajetan, 107.
Calmet, 12.
Calovius, 11.
Calvin, 113.
Camerarius, 414.
Camero, 248.
Campbell, Dr. G. 91. 93, 94. 145.156,157.162. 174. 193> 194. 214—217. 224, 225, 226. 248. 250. 311. 317— 319. 382. 414.
Cappel, J. 111.
Cappel, L. 11.248.
ft
468
INDEX OF NAMES.
Carpzov, p. 14. 284. Casaubon, 146. 334. Castalio, 214. 339. Chandler, 152.
Chrysostom, S. 159. 163. 166. 173. 203. 208. 364, 365. 367. Churton, 181. 184. Cicero, 101. 322. 334. Clarius, 248. Clarke, Dr. A. 95. 242. Clarke, Dr. S. 134. Cleanthes, 272. Cleaver, Bishop, 391, 392. 403. Clerc,Le, 12, 283. 286. Clinias, 271. Colinaeus, 355. Cowper, 61. 293. 297. Croius, 10. Cyprian, S. 99. 321.
D.
Dacier, 12.
Danhauer, 11.
Dathe, 37. 42. 49. 64. 104. 1 10.
333.
De Dieu, 10. Demetrius Phalereus, 61. Demosthenes, 323. Desvoeux, 83. Diodorus Siculus, 73. 260. Diogenes Laertius, 291. Doddridge, 129. 142. 150. 233.
248. 307. 323. 349. 368. Drusius, 107. Dryden, 197. 297.
E.
Ebertus, 10.
Edwards, 12.
Eichorn, 283.
Eisner, 248. 284. 307. 373. 382.
414.
Empereur, Const. L', 10. Epictetus, 40. 305. Erasmus, 161. 212. 414. Ernesti, 91. 93, 94, 95. 126,
127.
Euripides, 242. 298. Eusebius, 9, 10.
Eustathius, p. 291. Euthymius, 56. 159. 194. 218, 219. 333. 361. 382. 414.
F.
Faber, 45. 317. 324. Fabricius, 10. 91. 93. Farrer, 94. Fecht, 92. Fell, 99. Fischer, 414. Fleuri, 12. Forster, 101. Fourmont, 12. Francis, 261. Franck, 193. %
G.
Gale, 271.
Garofalo, 12.
Gataker, 42, 43. 272. 323. 325.
Gebhardi, 11.
Geriebrard, 41.
Georgius, 414.
Gerard, 22.
Gerard Von Maestricht, 450.
Glass, 32. 37. 41. 333.
Godwyn, 322.
Gomar, 10. 12.
Grabe, 182.
Green, 30-
Gregory, Dr. G. 5. 21. 49.
Gregory Nyssen,, S. 10.
Greve, 13.
Griesbach, 121. 132. 144, 145,
146.151. 153.161.191.206.
224. 267, 268. 314, 315. 330.
333. 348. 353. 355. 366. 382.
387. 414. 452. Grosier, 179, 180. Grotius, 107. 111. 194. 235.
239. 240. 241. 248. 271.
282. 305. 333. 368. 373. 382.
410. 414. 420. Guarini, 12.
H.
Hales, 30. 100. Hallett, 111. 193.
INDEX OF NAMES,
469
Hammond, p. 70. 133. 282.
317. 344. 351. 356. Handel, 21. Hardt, Van der, 9. 11. Hare, Bp. 12. 14-. 16. Harmer, 74. 112. Heinsius, 10. Hemsterhuis, 74. 292. Herder, 13. 22. 284. Herodotus, 240. Hesiod, 72. 334. 402. Hesychius, 284. Heumann, 12. 150. 180. Heylin, 349. Homberg, 414. Homer, 6J,. 70, 71. 293. 297- Hoogeveen, 134. Horace, 69. 261.287. Home, 22. 94. 331. Horsely, Bp. 64. 83. 139. 140.
182/302. 404. Hottinger, 283.
I. J.
Jamblichus, 291. Jansenius, 107. Jerome, S. 10.99,100.305.325. Johnson, Dr. S. 7, 8. 255. 294.
327.
Jones, Sir W. 13. Josephus, 10. 117. 236. 261.
264.
Isidore, Hisp. S. 10. Isocrates, 301. 308. Junius, 42. Justin Martyr, S. 99. 304.
305.
Juvenal, 73. Juvencus, 339.
K.
Kaimes, Lord, 281. Kennicott, 66. 182. Kent, 21. Keuchenius, 382. Knapp, 45. Knatchbull, 193, 194. Koecher, 235. 248. 414. Koppe, 323, 325.
Krebs, p. 116.
Krumbholz, 414.
Kuinoel, 88. 202. 206. 382.
414. Kuster, 291. Kypke, 202. 260.
L.
Lampe, 147.
Lamy, 129.
Leisner, 134. 240.
Libanius, 326.
Lightfoot, 108. 129. 133. 414.
Limborch, 141.
Lowth, Bp. 2, 3. 5. 9. 12, 13,
14, 15, 16—21, 22, 23. 27.
32. 34—38. 43. 48, 49, 50.
53. 55. 82, 83, 84. 96. 104.
125.142.182.309.378.421.
422. 429. 450. Lucian, 73. 291, 292. Lucretius, 220. 295. Lydius, 317. Lyra, de, 107.
M.
Macknight, 111. 170. 240. 259.
304. 353. Macarius, S. 344. Maius, 11. Maltby, 91. Markland, 141. 41 Masclef, 12. Masius, 10. 248. Matthai, 144. 146. 218. 349. Maximus Tyrius, 305. Mede, 104, 105, 106. Meibomius, 11. Melchior Adam, 365. Menander, 260. 302. Mercurialis, 317. Meuschen, 333. Michaelis, 13, 14, 15.43.91.
93, 94. 100. 150. 451, 452. Middleton, Bp. 132. 146. 156.
170. 176.196.198.214.221.
265. 336. 34-0. 350. 352. Mill, 121. 153. 161. 206. 314.
348. 366. 386. 452.
470
INDEX OF NAMES.
Milton, p. 195. 234. 255, 256
257. 284. Holier, 41. Morus, 282.
Mosheim, 91. 306. 324, 325. Muis de, 41. Munthe, 73.
N.
Nash, 180. Newcome, Abp. 35. 50. 66.
82. 450. Niebuhr, 74. Noesselt, 414.
O.
Oberthiir, 99. 321. Oecumenius, 298. Olearius, 233. Origen, 10. 99. 162. Owen, Dr. H. 97. 100. 142. 250. Owen, Dr. J.I 11.
P.
Palairet, 108. 414.
Parkhurst, 29. 328.
Pearson, Bp. 255.
Petalossi, 180.
Petraeus, 10.
Pfeiffer, 10.
Philo Judaeus, 10. 271. 292.
304.
Photius, 218. Pierce, Bp.414. Pindar, 95. 202. 297. Pistophilus, 414. Plato, 292. 300,301. Pliny, 202. Plutarch, 68. 293, 294. 298.
305.
Pococke, 99. Poole, 41.248.317. Pope, 71. Pott, 254. 259. 282. 285. 298.
300.
Potter, 242. 292. Pricaeus, 271. 292. Psalmanazar, 12. Pythagoras, 291.
Q.
Quintilian, p. 61. Quintus Curtius, 260.
R.
Raphel, 92. 108. 146. 202. 307.
322. 338. Reatinus, 10. Reichard, 333. Rhenferd, 333. Richter, 14. Rosenmuller, 14. 49. 104. 150.
158.206. 224.368.414.
S.
Sallust,73.
Saubert, 193.
Scaliger, Joseph, 9, 10.
Schachius, 12.
Schleusner, 51. 95. 153. 224. 254, 255. 325—328. 330. 338. 382.
Schmidt, 13. 107. 414.
Schoeffer, 241.
Schoettgen, 14. 88. 162. 221. 233. 235. 271. 299. 322. 325. 333.
Schultens, 120.
Semler, 284. 286.
Seneca, Philos. 33. 305, 306. 321.
Seneca, Tragic. 241. 300.
Simon, 12. 100. 203.382.
Simplicius, 290. 300.
Sophocles, 292. South ey, 197. Spanheim, 108. Spencer, 99. Spenser, Edm. 72. Spohn, 51. 153. 325. Stark, 414. Stephens, H. 284. Stobaeus, 272. 302. Stock, Bp. 104. Stockius, 414. Storr, 150.240.284. Strabo, 260. 5trigelius, 365.
INDEX OF NAMES.
471
Surenhusius, p. 97. 100. 108.
111. Sykes, 111.
T.
Tertullian, 99. Theodoret, 42. 294. Theodotion, 152. Theognis, 71.
Theophylact, 362. 382. 414. Thompson, 220. Thucydides, 73. Till, Sal. Van, 11. Todd, 255, 327. Townson, 115. 175. 180, 181. 204.
U.V.
Valckenaer,128. 142. 354,355.
373, 374 414. Vatablus, 10. Ugolini, 12. Viccars, 41. Victor, Cap. 107. Virgil, 68. 294. 297. Vitringa, 9. 104. 414. 426. Vorstius, 88. 333. 338.
W.
Wakefield, p. 70. 94. 183. 193.
208. 318. 349. 373, 374. Walaeus, 383. Wassenbergh, 127, 128, 129.
348.
Weisius, 14. 16. Wells, 382. Wesley, 349. West on, 235. 240. Wetstein, 116. 146. 153. 161,
162. 202.221. 248. 271. 284.
298. 314. 317. 320. 333. 387.
452.
Whitby, 161. Wolfius, 150. 180. 240. 248.
298.307.317.324.330.333.
368. 414.
X.
Xenophon, 322.
Z.
Zegerus, 248. 414. Zeno, 291. Zentgravius, 11. Zoroaster, 205.
While this Index is in the press, I rejoice to find my own opinion of TWO NAMES that do it honour, confirmed by the judgment of a most illustrious scholar : with whose words I most willingly, and, I trust, not unsuitably, conclude the pre sent volume. " Uti enim inter oratores Graecos, non Christi- " anos, civili virtute commendanda nemo honestate antecellit " ISOCRATEM : ita CHRYSOSTOMUS post Christum et Apostolos, " de virtute Christiana dicens, neminem inter Christianos «* Graecos, ne dicam inter Latinos, gravitate superiorem aut " similem habet." — CHRIST. FRID. MATTHAI. Proleg. in Joann. Chrysostom, Horn. IV. Select, p. xxvii.
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